To close or keep open? Schools dilemma as virus knocks

Top Ministry of Education officials held a crisis meeting as confusion rocked management of public schools after the first case of coronavirus was reported.

Public school heads were yesterday getting in touch with the Ministry of Education seeking clarification on whether schools will also remain open from Monday following government ban of public gatherings.

Teachers unions also joined in the push for more clarity from the ministry, asking for urgent guidelines to help keep the virus away from schools.

Yesterday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced that the government had suspended all public gatherings, meetings and events.

He also announced that all inter-school events have been suspended.

This means all term one school events such as drama and music festivals, athletics, basketball, hockey handball games which are already ongoing at county level, stand suspended.

Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha) national chairman Nicholas Gathemia yesterday expressed fears that schools are also public gatherings.

“We host children from different backgrounds and various homes and they come to gather in sometimes very crowded places where they interact for more than 10 hours daily,” said Gathemia.

He said schools do not have capacity to understand the level of interactions of the children before they get to school.

“Some come to school using public means, others walk in, while some come from homes where there could be high level of interactions with many persons. We are worried,” said Gathemia.

Secondary school heads also said they are waiting for directives from the Ministry.

“We are in touc h with the ministry and we hope to get clear guidelines moving forward,” said Kahi Indimuli, the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) national chairman.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary General Akello Misori yesterday said he had asked the ministry to issue clear guidelines in the wake of the virus.

“We have asked the CS to give proper direction on schools,” he said.

He said Kuppet has asked its members to suspend all union meetings until further notice.

“All planned branch general assemblies are hereby postponed immediately. All kinds of workshops, recruitment events and gatherings are also suspended,” said Misori in the March 13 memo to its members.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion said the union will issue a comprehensive statement today.

It was not clear whether the union would push for closure of schools.

Sossion however said all learning institutions should adhere to the strict guidelines as directed by the Health Cabinet Secretary.

“The Ministry of Health and government should ensure availability of sanitizers and appropriate detergents in all learning institutions as they are reportedly running out of stock in shops and supermarkets,” he said.

Even as learners remain in school, he said, teachers should effectively supervise their adherence to hygiene practices at all times.

“Learners should be encouraged to be champions of hygiene in their homes to help prevention at home. All schools must be champions of campaigns in fighting the Covid-19 outbreak,” said Sossion.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha already banned handshakes and hugs in schools and advised the heads of the institutions to exercise high level of hygiene.

This week, Magoha banned handshakes among students, teachers and non-teaching staff to keep the virus at bay.

Ministry also directed that learners and school staff to regularly wash their hands with soap as part of the overall hygiene in schools and at home.

The details are contained in a circular dated March 4 to all regional directors of education, county and sub-county directors.

“Given the Covid-19 outbreak and its impact on people and health, it is important that all learning institutions in the country take appropriate measures for prevention and response to mitigate the public health impact in the event of an outbreak,” Magoha directed in the circular.

Magoha said in the event that someone shows symptoms, prompt referral to a specialised health provider is required.

“Heads of the learning institutions across the country are asked to liaise with the nearest public health offices for proper information on the Covid-19 disease,” he said.

School heads yesterday said other than the sensitisation efforts they have continued to mount, they needed an assurance on whether schools should stay open. 

Kagwe also directed public transport operators to provide hand sanitisers for commuters and to regularly clean their vehicles.

Overall, the government advised all citizens to regularly and thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand sanitisers.

“Persons with a cough or sneezing should stay home or keep a social distance, but avoid mixing with others in a crowd,” Kagwe said.

He further advised people to maintain a distance of at least one metre (5 feet) between them and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

The government also said maintaining a good respiratory hygiene is a must, saying this can be done through covering of mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing.

Those who feel unwell and exhibit symptoms like fever, cough and difficulty in breathing should stay at home as the government swung to action after first case of the virus was reported.

Communication from the Office of The President said that an emergency session of the National Security Council directed that additional medical personnel be recruited and retained on an emergency basic contract to support the precautionary management measures.

This will enhance surveillance and check any possible spread of the coronavirus, it said.

The council also directed that all national government administration officers to ensure all the measures announced are put in place.

These include continued public awareness on the role of hygiene in the prevention of the spread of coronavirus and discouragement of mass gatherings and meetings.

It however emerged that only 23 counties had put in place the necessary emergency centres in the wake of the killer coronavirus.

The rest are still in setting them up, according to Mohammed Kuti, health committee chair in the council of governors.

Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said counties are on high alert and have received the necessary equipment.

Some 14 counties at high risk - which include those at the main points of entry - have received 10,000 kits of personal protective equipment while the rest have 5,000.

At least 4,000 people have died and 113,000 infected globally. Kenya joins the growing list of African countries that have recorded cases of the virus, including Togo, Algeria, South Africa, Congo and Egypt.