Hard task that awaits teachers, parents as schools open Monday

Oseth Primary School in Agoro village, Nyando, submerged following heavy rains in the area. [Michael Mute, Standard]

Teachers and parents will carry the burden of ensuring over 3.5 million learners are safe in schools and respond fast during emergencies.

In a new plan unveiled by the Ministry of Education on Friday ahead of school opening, the government wants parents to work closely with teachers when learning resumes.

Teachers will be required to be the first responders in cases of emergencies and also offer psychosocial support to learners. This will also include counselling learners who may have lost loved ones during the heavy rains that pounded the country, causing deaths.

The teachers will also be required to keep updated attendance lists, trace absent children and give feedback to the ministry through the regional directors.

Also, the head teachers will be required to ensure lost time is recovered through structured lessons as it emerged that no term extensions will be allowed.

And for parents, the ministry directs that a close collaborative approach be adopted to ensure safety of learners.

This will include an enhanced role in identifying emerging issues and enforcing schools’ attendance.

“Schools should engage with parents, guardians and learners to keep them updated on any emerging issues,” the circular reads.

The elaborate schools reopening plan is contained in a circular released Friday by Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang.

Kipsang said that all teachers and learners would be trained on emergency evacuation protocols and first aid procedures to enable them to handle emergencies.

In his circular dated May 9, 2024, Kipsang also directed schools to establish emergency response procedures to address potential hazards and natural disasters.

And before Monday’s reopening, Kipsang directed an assessment of institutions to determine the safety and readiness of the institutions before resuming classes.

He said, in consultation with school heads, there will be adjustments to term dates.

Instead, schools have been instructed to develop lesson recovery plans to ensure that the curriculum is adequately covered within the academic year.

Kipsang told the Standard on phone that an earlier plan to adjust term dates by shortening the August holiday has been shelved following requests from school heads.

On Friday, the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association chairman Willie Kuria said each school will independently choose how to recover the time lost. He said remedial lessons, evening and morning classes will be options on the table for the recovery.

And to remove barriers to education, the Ministry of Education has directed schools to unconditionally open their doors to students, removing requirements such as uniforms and school fees.

Lack of school fees

This means that no learner will be turned away for lacking fees or not having school uniforms.

Parents have urged the government to crack down on school heads violating the directive.

National Parents Association (NPA) chairman Silas Obuhatsa said many parents are grappling with the effects of torrents and will not be able to afford school fees. 

“We have lost many parents, and family members. Families are grieving. Some are living in camps which will make it difficult to recollect themselves and afford to pay school fees by Monday,” Obuhatsa said. 

However, Kuria said that the institutions are staring at a bigger challenge with limited finances and appealed for urgent release of capitation.

“We want the money like yesterday. Schools will not have funds to run since a majority of parents have been affected and we don’t expect them to pay fees. The money schools received was used to settle debts we owed to creditors,” Kuria said. 

On the other hand, day schools have also been instructed to ensure the safety of learners to and from schools, with a cap on travel between 6am and 6pm for boarding students.

Schools will also be required to monitor attendance and report to ministry officials in cases of absenteeism.

The ministry also instructed schools to conduct necessary repairs and maintenance to address any damages caused by the adverse weather conditions. 

“Institutions must develop and implement strict safety protocols, including measures to mitigate the risk of flooding and ensure the structural integrity of buildings,” the circular reads.

And in case of disruption caused by heavy rains and flooding, day schools have been given the go-ahead to determine the appropriate reporting and departure time for learners. 

Also, the institutions have been asked to ensure adequate provision of clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene supplies to curb the spread of waterborne diseases.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on Friday directed county directors of education to compile a list of school heads who are charging inflated fees.

Speaking in Trans Nzoia during a tree-planting exercise, Machogu warned that disciplinary action will be taken against head teachers charging parents extra fees. Machogu said his ministry had stipulated fees for all categories of school adding that Kenya National Examinations Council would replace certificates destroyed by the floods.

[Reports by Lewis Nyaundi, Martin Ndiema and Mike Kihaki]