Education cabinet secretary professor George Magoha has urged head teachers and principals to be innovative and switch to tree shades as alternative class rooms, ahead of January 4^th reopening. The Cs was responding to numerous concerns about the possibility of social distancing upon full reopening of learning institutions.

“If the weather is as good as now, nothing stops the head teacher, who is an excellent teacher from having classes there in addition to others being inside the rooms. Let us be innovative and stop criticizing without a solution. Be innovative and ensure Covid-19 protocols are adhered to.,” Magoha said.

“You can take advantage of good sunny weather and use tree shades within the school compound as classes,” said Magoha to head teachers.

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Sources closer to the ministry of education had earlier on confirmed that the government is not in a position to fund the construction of additional classrooms so as to enhance 1.5 Metre guidelines recommended by the ministry of health.

During his Murang’a county tour, Magoha insisted that the No additional classrooms will be constructed since no government globally, has constructed additional classes as a strategy to adhere to social distancing protocols, following the virus pandemic.

The Ministry of Education has indicated that all the schools will resume learning in January 2021 after a long interference caused by the corona virus.

The CS asked parents to prepare their children for the resumption of learning, saying the government is doing everything possible to ensure schools are conducive for learning.

He also instructed teachers to ensure all children are given access to schools and warned them against sending children home for not paying fees.

“Primary education is free as per the constitution but in cases where it is payable, we are asking teachers to identify the needy children and support them. Let’s not have a situation where a pandemic has occasioned the loss of jobs and then we send children back home,” he said.

The CS further asked boards of management to handle expectant teens gently and ensure they go back to school.

“When ready to deliver, they will be allowed to go for delivery and come back to school. Even those who are married, all students, especially candidates must go back to school so they can sit for the national exams,” he added.

Education Cabinet Secretary, Professor George Magoha, has revealed the Government’s plans to introduce an insurance scheme that will cover Covid-19 related infections among all learners in Kenyan schools.

The education boss made these revelations during his tour of selected School in West Pokot County, where he appreciated the enhanced civil servants’ medical scheme, which includes teachers.

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In the civil servants’ medical scheme, all TSC employed teachers will receive a full medical cover which will cater for Covid-19 related medical expenses.

He applauded teachers for ensuring that learners follow the Covid-19 protocols, as set by the ministry of health.

“In every school, I have gone to, whether impromptu or on notice, it’s very encouraging to see teachers continuing with their work. As far as I am concerned life must continue, but we must follow Covid-19 protocols from the Ministry of Health,” he added.

Magoha urged education stakeholders to seek safe ways to keep children in school as they continue to learn, as it is not fair for learners to stay at home.

During his press statement, Magoha assured the artisans who won the Sh1.9 billion tender to supply desks to primary and secondary schools under the economic stimulus project that they will be paid soon. He appreciated the work that the artisans did; saying that the desks had met the standards set by the ministry.

“The desks I have seen are of good quality. The local artisans have done a tremendous job and they should receive their payment by the end of the week,” Magoha said.

The CS noted the infrastructural challenges that most schools face and promised that his ministry is fast tracking disbursements of funds, to construct more classrooms.

The Kenya National union of teachers, (KNUT) secretary general, Wilson Sossion, has once again faulted the teachers’ service commission, TSC, for abating discrimination against KNUT members without shame or fear.

Speaking on TV47 on 17^th November, the KNUT boss expressed his disappointment with the teachers’ employer and blamed it for all the woes that KNUT has faced lately.

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Sossion stated that KNUT members were influenced to quit the union unconstitutionally. A member should quit a union through a letter to the employer, which should then be forwarded to the union. “It is the employer that is supposed to forward any letter written to TSC and the employer has not forwarded any letter,” explained Wilson Sossion.

Mr. Sossion accused TSC of denying KNUT members promotions and salary increments as agreed in the 2017-2020 Collective bargaining agreement, yet KUPPET members and non union members are being offered the same. “TSC decided to stop the promotion of any teacher who is a member of KNUT. If you are a member of a union, you are denied promotions, salary increments and that amounts to discrimination,” Sossion said.

In Sossion’s own words, TSC suspended the CBA between KNUT and TSC unilaterally in July 2019, contrary to the provisions of the CBA. He terms the behavior by TSC as the biggest violation of the labor rights of teachers.

Concerning teacher and safety in schools amid covid pandemic, the KNUT secretary general said that the responsibility of availing of masks should fully and totally shift to the government. He added that the preparation for January reopening of schools should not be given a casual treatment. “The two groups of frontline officers at the moment are the medics and teachers and they will get affected by this disease; that is why we are insisting that the reopening program and preparation for January should not be taken casually. It is no longer about COVID-19 and the graph; it is now about living with the virus. We have already had three classes running and we have learnt a lot from the classes and the global community.”

An MP has accused cabinet secretary George Magoha for allegedly lying that the government is prepared for schools’ reopening during the covid pandemic.

Dhiwa MP, HON. Martin Owino, confirmed that his committee accused the CS of lying to parliament that all measures to ensure learning by form four, grade four and class eight learners had been put in place by the government and that the teaching / learning environment would be conducive.

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Just prior to the partial reopening of primary and secondary schools, Magoha told parliament that sanitizers, water points and additional desks were some of the government’s preparations for safe partial reopening of schools. The government would also disburse capitation fees to prevent learners from being sent for school fees

According to Owino’s research findings, teachers and learners in most Kenyan schools risk getting infected with covid-19 due to inadequate preparations by the ministry of education.

“A lot of risks of contracting covid-19 still lurk in schools and that is why many students have been infected,” Owino said.

Owino was addressing Ratanga residents ahead of distributing lockers and chairs to the selected secondary schools within Dhiwa constituency.

He called the promises of MOE on learner safety a mirage, and informed the public that that the MOE has also failed to remit capitation fees to schools.

The eloquent MP felt that most parents got overburdened by the ministry’s lack of preparedness in reopening schools. “Many parents complain of financial challenges due to covid-19. Principals have told me they lack funds for running schools because the government has not released the capitation fees,” Owino added.

He assured parents, teachers and learners that parliament will solve amicably, the challenges being experienced by the education sector.

“We must summon Magoha because we are concerned by the health of teachers and pupils in our schools,” Owino assured the general public.