‘School calendar, exam dates to be reviewed,’ says Education CS Magoha

Ministry of Education now says the school calendar will be reviewed to ensure learners do not lose another academic year following the disruption occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha, speaking at Maragua Ridge Secondary School in Murang’a County during inspection of desks and chairs in learning institutions, said the examination time table will also be re-looked at and made public.

Prof. Magoha urged schools’ stakeholders to work properly on the re-opening to ensure Ministry of Health directives to combat the spread of the coronavirus are adhered to.

“I’m delighted to report that in most of the schools and institutions I have visited, the managements have done their best to ensure COVID-19 protocols and followed,” said the CS.

“By next week Friday, all the desks and chairs (procured by the government) will be delivered to schools. Quality assurance officers to conduct inspection to ensure the products delivered are of quality to match with the Ksh.1.9 billion that the government set aside.”

Prof. Magoha sought to reassure carpenters who do their work perfectly that they will be paid their dues without delay. In the desk project, the government identified 5,254 secondary schools and 5,136 primary schools as beneficiaries.

“The jua kali artisans who will have delivered the furniture to schools by Friday next will be been paid their money through mobile money transfer system,” he said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, in his address to the nation on Wednesday, directed that all basic education in the country resumes in January next year.

Speaking at State House in Nairobi, President Kenyatta however noted that learners who already reported back to schools and resumed education activities should continue.

“With respect to the examination classes that have already resumed learning, I hereby order that they continue with their learning and examination preparations but under heightened health safety measures, and also order that all basic education classes resume in-person learning in January 2021,” he said.