According to The East African,Kenya’s Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) George Magoha has announced that national examinations will not take place this year as the Covid-19 pandemic has rendered the school calendar lost.
Furthermore, CS Magoha said, Standard Eight and Form Four students who were to sit the exams this year will do so in 2021.
“Stakeholders have shelved the initial proposal to reopen schools in September for Standard Eight and Form Four candidates,” he said.
The minister also announced that all basic learning institutions will reopen in January next year, as that is when the virus curve is expected to have flattened according to reports from the newspaper.
“The Ministry of Education will issue a comprehensive circular on the reopening dates while the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) will issue revised examination timetables,” said the CS.
“To ensure learners are engaged, the Ministry of Education will enhance remote learning (online, distance and e-learning) and explore innovative approaches to promote equity,” he said.
The ministry further announced that technical and vocational education and training (Tvet) institutions as well as colleges will reopen in September but only with strict adherence to the Ministry of Health’s guidelines for containing the virus.
“Universities will be allowed to re-open if they meet all the requirements set by MoH, and they must be inspected. Members of staff must agree on how they will do a phased reopening,” he said, adding institutions that flout the rules risk closure.
The CS noted that the decisions apply to all learners, including those in schools offering International curricula.
He added, however, that they will be reviewed if the daily count of Covid-19 cases reduces within 14 days.
“All the decisions that we have made here with stakeholders regarding reopening of learning institutions may change as informed by reports from the Ministry of Health, prevailing circumstances and increasing knowledge on Covid-19,” he said.
Source:The East African
