Concerns over learners' safety as schools reopen post-midterm

Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu. [File, Standard]

Concern is growing over the safety of school-going children as anti-government protests continue.

Many schools remained closed on Tuesday on a day they were expected back in class after midterm break.

However, various stakeholders have raised concerns over the interruption of teaching and learning in schools within areas where protests are taking place.

While some schools wrote to parents to let them know that the schools will not be opening on Tuesday, others turned back parents dropping their children to school.

The protests are expected to continue on Thursday, with organized efforts on social media platforms such as X Spaces building a massive movement.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu has called on teachers to be vigilant during the protest period.

Oyuu called on the tutors to conduct self-assessments of their safety before heading to school. “It is very important that our teachers are safe during this period. We are asking the employer to work with other government agencies to ensure the safety of learners and teachers in school,” Oyuu said.

National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa said the recent wave of protests have had an impact on the rights of children to enjoy a basic education.

Obuhatsa said the early midterm break and the delays in reopening after the midterm break will be disadvantageous to some learners.

“Remember we had to extend our April holiday by two weeks and here again while teachers are trying to recover the time lost, they face another challenge. This needs to be looked into to see how the affected learning will be factored,” Obuhatsa said.

He also called for counselling and guidance of students and learners who could be adversely affected by the protest.

“These students come from homes that in one way or the other could have been affected by the protest, schools need to establish how the students might have been affected and provide the help where necessary,” he added.

Peter Njagi, a psychiatrist and former head of Mathari Hospital explains that the exposure to violence at home and community, as well as injury due to violence, contribute to both reduced academic progress and increased disruptive or unfocused classroom behaviour for children, adolescents, and teenagers.