The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers – KUPPET has come out to support the move by President Uhuru Kenyatta to put on hold any plans to rush reopening of schools. On Monday September 28, 2020 the President announced that schools will only be reopened once the covid 19 curve flattens adding that the health of learners should be given priority.
KUPPET now tells Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha to ‘get his act in together’ and ensure schools are ready to receive learners.
Here is the full presser by KUPPET;
Education stakeholders fully support President Kenyatta’s statement to the nation yesterday (On Monday September 28, 2020). Whereas many Kenyans were expecting the President to announce a date for the re-opening of schools, his statement addressed the health concerns that all parents, teachers and learners have about the capacity of our schools to cope with COVID-19.
The import of the President’s statement was that schools would only re-open once the government enacts safeguards to protect learners and teachers from COVID-19. As a union, this is the position we support. Last week ago, after the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Prof. George Magoha, called teachers to their work stations, we urged the government to remit the capitation funds to schools for the development of infrastructure – including the improvement of classrooms, sanitation facilities, dormitories and creation of isolation rooms to manage emergencies, among others.
KUPPET believes that the Ministry of Education has the financial resources to enhance the safety in our schools. On the minimum, every school must have sufficient learning spaces allowing social distancing, water for sanitation, isolation wards for holding suspected cases pending medical examination, and counseling services. The government should also provide at least three re-usable facemasks to all learners.
In compliance with the President’s directive, we urge the Cabinet Secretary to immediately establish a criteria of assessing schools on readiness to re-open for learning under Ministry of Health protocols for the containment of COVID-19.
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