Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion has said that schools will be safe for both teachers and learners than at home.

The SG, however, asked Kenyans not to imagine that schools will be free from Covid-19 noting that the disease might occur. He added that the schools have been linked with a medical facility in case any situation arises.

"From the assessment, we believe that teachers are safer in school than at home and therefore we need all the children back in school in the fullness of time and we hope schools will be safe." Stated Sossion.

He noted that teachers will need a lot of support from parents, guardians and caregivers in caring for children and carrying out the curriculum content and that the best cooperation they can give teachers is to bring all children back to schools.

"We urge parents to give teachers total support and cooperation… Schools must reopen. Let us not politicize the matter." Wilson Sossion said adding that issues arising will be dealt with along.

He asked Kenyans not to politicize the reopening issue but to get prepared mentally because schools must reopen and it's the best time to reopen schools for our children.

Mr Sossion assured parents that students will be safe in school as necessary precautions have been put in place. He noted that teachers have been in schools for a week preparing for learners and ensuring that all practical aspects to observe the Coronavirus are in place.

Mrs Janet Ouko who represented the many views of parents noted that parents need more time to prepare for the reopening of schools to address logistical issues. She added that no parent would want to be embarrassed because they do not have money.

Former Nairobi CEC Janet Muthoni Ouko blamed the government for insensitivity as parents are not financially prepared for the resumption of learning. She noted that the responsible thing is for the government to Disburse funds then parents will take their children to school.

In response, the Education Chief Executive Secretary Mr Zachary Kinuthia asked parents to prepare to take candidates back to school and worry not because the government will disburse money to school.

"Prepare and take your child back to school on Monday and this is the assurance of the government that everything shall be done. Don't worry about money, we will disburse money to schools." CAS Kinuthia said.

Zackary Kinuthia said that regardless of the Covid-19 situation and it's effect, every child deserves basic education and that children need a transition plan noting that that is what the government is doing.

CAS Kinuthia urged Kenyan to cooperate with the Ministry of Education by allowing phased reopening of schools promising to monitor the first phase of the reopening.

Mr Sossion however noted that teachers must be trained on how to handle the disease as well as to manage students. He asked Boards of Management to ensure that schools meet the Covid-19 health protocols. Schools Will Be Safe. Government To Fund Schools Upon Reopening.

Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha has announced the reopening of schools for Grade 4, Class 8 and Form Four learners on Monday, 12th. October 2020. The Government thanked parents, guardians and caregivers for their patience and support they provided to learners' welfare during the COVID-19 period. 

Further, Magoha has announced that the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations to start on March 22, 2021, and end on March 24, 2021. Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams to begin on March 25th, 2021 and end on April 16, 2021.

All schools will be required to strict adherence to the following COVID-19 protocols and guidelines;

• Mandatory use of face masks, monitoring of the body temperature for all learners, staff and all other persons accessing the schools, handwashing and observance of high levels of hygiene. Where there Is no running water, schools will use sanitizers;
• Although physical distancing will remain a challenge. It should not be used as a bottleneck to keep any child away from school;
• All schools that had been used as quarantine centres have been fumigated under the supervision of the Ministry of Health In readiness for re-opening;






• All schools that had been designated as quarantine centres but not used, need not be fumigated prior to their re-opening;
• All schools have been linked to the nearest public health facility prior to being re-opened;
• All teachers are encouraged to continuously provide psychosocial and spiritual support to learners and school support staff during the duration of the current Covid-19 pandemic; and
• Boards of Management (BOM), principals or  Head-Teachers shall ensure full compliance with the guidelines and protocols Issued by the Ministry of Health.

The parents, guardians, caregivers of learners in Grade 4 (CBC Class), Claas 8 and Form 4 are now encouraged to prepare their children for the resumption of learning on 12th October 2020. The Government has said it has already met the full costs of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations for ALL candidates.

The Ministry of Education, In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is expected to continuously monitor adherence to Guidelines on Health and Safety Protocols for Reopening of Basic Education Institutions amid COVID-19 pandemic in order to determine when to re-open for all other learners in primary and secondary schools. The Ministry of Education will Immediately Issue a comprehensive circular on re-opening of all public and private schools.

Pursuant to the Presidential Directive issued during the Twelfth (12th) Presidential Address to the Nation on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Monday, 2nd of September, 2020, and following broad-based education stakeholders consultations; the Ministry of Education notifies the public that the progressive re-opening of schools will commence with Grade 4 (Competency-Based Curriculum Class), Class 8 and form 4 on Monday, 12th October 2020.

The specifics of the Revised 2020 School Calendar for Examination Candidates and Grade 4 Learners are as follows;

1. Term 2:  Grade 4, Class 8 & Form 4 to reopen on 12th of October 2020 and close schools for a holiday on 23rd of December 2020. Learning will take a duration of 11 Weeks
2. Holiday for Grade 4, Class 8 and Form 4 will kick off in24th of December 2020 and end on 1st of January 2021.

Kenya National Union of Teachers Knut Secretary-General Honorable Wilson Sossion, took to the stage yesterday on Teachers Day to explain the challenges facing the former giant union.

"Currently if you are a member of KNUT, you are not qualified to be promoted by TSC,… To any administrative position. That's the truth!" Sossion revealed.

Sossion blamed the commission for fighting hard to end the Kenyan teachers union. "It is a mere creation of TSC to try and kill the union, to try and bastardise the union so that teachers can run away." Said Sossion.

Wilson's remarks were fired by the continual fierce battle between the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). According to the report by the Salaries Remuneration Commission (SRC), TSC was accused of having parallel payrolls for teachers. 

"SRC and TSC are one and the same," Sossion said revealing a document signed by Kihumba Kimotho on 28th of July 2020, which told teachers that they were running on two parallel payrolls.

The parallel payrolls that Sossion was about were drawn after TSC suspended the implementation of the CBA. Much disturbing factor to Sossion was the meddling affair of KNUT by the Teachers Service Commission which has currently brought down the union to its knees.

According to the analysis conducted by KNUT between June 2019 to September 2020, the union's gross income has reduced from Sh144,000,000 when it had 187,471 union members to the current Sh32,000,000. "So the truth is that KNUT is shutting down financially. TSC deliberately refuses to key in members. Our members should stand to over 230,000 members. Some of them are saying a strong union is bad to the government."

Sossion insisted that TSC should reinstate back it's members failure to which the wrangles will continue to be escalated. "We know very well that TSC conducted countrywide meetings with headteachers and ordered them to move out of the union," said the Secretary-General of KNUT.

KNUT union called for the urgent release of the national school calendar to assist teachers and learners plan on how to make up for the lost time caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kevin Otiende, 'a wonderful man with a good heart' has won the hearts of Kenyans online for his humble and generous act. The managing director at CALLA PR made one of his 'biggest achievement' last week when he met a fourteen-year-old street boy while making a phone call outside of Nation Center on Wednesday night.

The street boy who was once in school before the first case of the Covid-19 pandemic which led to the closure of schools wanted Ksh 10 from Kevin Otiende just as it is normal for most street children in the city of Nairobi.

Instead of just giving money to the street boy, Kevin decided to first engage him before doing anything. "His name is Clinton, and he spoke really good English. He's been a street boy for 7 months since COVID-19 started, and hails from Bungoma. I asked him if he has a family and he gave me his older brother's contacts." Kevin said about the boy. He then proceeded to call the brother to the street boy who wept hysterically explaining how they've been looking for him for seven months.

" I met up with him the next day and organized a few things before taking him to board a bus back home, where he is reunited with his family." The CALLA PR manager said. Mr Kevin has resolved to educate the young promising street boy until college.

"I cannot wait for schools to reopen as I have resolved to educate him until college. I come from a humble background and I know the greatest tool you can give someone is education.
Before tipping these our children in the streets, if you can, spare a minute and ask them their names. It could be the difference they need." Kevin noted. Professor Magoha has announced the reopening of schools for class eight, grade four and form four candidates on 12th this month with the reopening date for the rest of learners yet to be decided.

Clinton is just but an example of many learners who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Not only did the virus spread in the country denied him his right to education but also right to shelter among others. World Health Organisation had warned Africa that continued closure of schools will ruin the future lives of school kids. With the out of school influence, exposure to the out-of-school environment is affecting the future generation.

Some say that if schools are to reopen today for all learners. Probably most of the learners won't step back to school. The Covid-19 hash and bitter experience have continued to affect the lives of learners, with drug abuse, sexual misconduct, domestic violence among others being the cause of the problem.

Some homes have proven to be worse than the streets. For Mr Levin, he aptly learnt that had he given the young man 10 shillings, it would have done nothing to help his situation. Even better, he has reunited him with the family.

A lot of teachers have been requesting me to write about this. If it is your first time to attend this sort of interviews and you don't know what to carry with you, don't worry because the following will be needed during the interview.

1). Applicants National Identity card (ID) both Original and a photocopy. 
2). Two clear passport size photographs 
3). Academic papers/certificates for College, Kenya Certificate of Primary Education ( KCPE ) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) & testimonials ( photocopy and originals) 
4). Original and photocopy of your official academic  
5). Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Registration Certificate (original and photocopy). If not accessible you can submit proof that the registration procedure has begun. 
6). Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) PIN certificate. 
7). A bank plate for your active bank account. 

8). A duly filled pay point forms. You can obtain this at the bank. 
9). GP69 Medical examination form. Should be filled by a qualified government doctor at public Hospital. 
10). Original and a copy of your National Hospital Insurance Fund, NHIF card.
11). Both Secondary and Primary School Leaving Certificates 
12). Co-curricular activities Certificates. This is important in case of a tie.
13). Any other applicable certificates that could earn you a win in case of a tie break.

The government has maintained that it will only pay BOM Teachers with TSC number. 

Appearing before the National Assembly Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha and the Education Permanent Secretary Kipsang said all dully employed teachers employed by the board of Management (BOM) have already received their payments insisting that the law prohibits the government to pay non-TSC registered teachers. 

The country has a teachers shortage of 125,000 teachers. To bridge the gap, the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission are required to hire additional teachers depending on the available resources.

Alternatively, Boards Of Management in all public schools are required to hire qualified teachers and to pay them according to their agreement.

Whereas this project has worked well the Ministry of Education employment policy requires BOM teachers to employ teaching staffs only if they have the capacity to pay.

The policy could be creating a huge conflict between various schools BOMs, the Government and the individual teachers.

"The burden of deciding how to get teachers is left to the headteachers, how to pay becomes a conflict between the Board of Management and the school." Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion noted.

Learning institutions are advised to employ BOM teachers based on qualification capacity. It is a reality that many schools don't lack capacity. 

Omboko Milemba who is the Chairman of Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) noted that the country is duped to act like there is np money in the education sector to act and prepare Kenya to reopen schools. "Soon or later the question of health is going to compete with the question of finance, " said Milemba.

The closure of schools due to Coronavirus pandemic affected about 40,000 teachers employed by the Boards of Management in various public schools across the country.

After a persistence outcry, the government decided to intervene by paying all BOM teachers Sh 10,0000 for 6 months running from July 2020 to December this year.

"The law only allows me to spend public money on teachers as defined by various sections of the law. So the first thing we look for is the TSC number," Professor Magoha stated before the National Assembly.

The decision by the Government to pay only BOM teachers with TSC numbers leaves hanging the fate of thousands of teachers who have been offering their services without TSC numbers and whose names were removed by the Ministry of Education from the payment list.

"There are teachers who did not even have TSC numbers instead they put their national identity numbers and were expecting to be paid." Stated Magoha.

The ministry of education through Permanent Secretary Belio Kipsang says as per the number of teachers who were certified by Education Ministry and the Teachers Service Commission are the only qualified teachers approved to teach in schools.

The hard stance taken by the Ministry of Education to only pay teachers with TSC number leaves out many schools which had been depending on the services of these BOM teachers, with huge financial obligations arising from the services rendered by the teachers, not in the role of their employer. 

A family is craving for answers over two brothers disappearance on the night of 21st, September2020. 

Thirty-nine years old Joseph Ngugi Macharia, currently a teacher at Kijabe Girls High School and his younger brother Moses Kamau, aged 37  went missing in Nakuru town.

The family has unsuccessfully been looking for the two, spending sleepless nights from Monday 21st. According to their aunt Grace Njoki, their mobile phones have since been switched off.

Mr Macharia resided with his household at Salgaa trading centre on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway, while Kamau lived at Kwa Amos in Bahati sub-County. Their habitual ancestral home is Engashura area in Bahati Sub-County.

“It is worrying that we are not getting any clue on where the two are. We have contacted their friends but none seems to know their whereabouts,” Njoki said.

On the fortnight day of the disappearance, Macharia was heading to Salgaa from his home. He left to attend a wedding council meeting at Engashura at around 10 am on that Monday.

The teacher later arrived in Nakuru town at 11 am and chose to meet his brother Kamau, who operates an electronics appliance shop at Pinkham Building in town and proceed for a meal in a hotel in Nakuru.

“My nephew called the committee chairman and informed him to proceed with the meeting, saying he would join later. He insisted that he wanted to meet his younger brother, whom he had not seen for many days,” Njoki revealed.

At 1 pm, Mr Kamau's wife Mary Mweru called him on phone but the phone was not answered. She ranged again at around 2 pm but still, there was no response. At exactly 2.30 pm, Kamau’s mobile phone was switched off.

According to Kamau's wife, her husband had notified her that he was meeting his brother but did not inform her of the hotel where they were to have lunch.  The wedding committee members were also worried when Macharia failed to show up.

Their whereabouts
The family and the committee members tried to reach out to the two, contacted their friends, but their whereabouts could still not be revealed.

The family then reported a missing case of the two brothers On 25th of September 25, at Nakuru Central 
and Kiugoine police stations.  “We are now confused. We spend sleepless nights praying for their safety,” Njoki Mweru said.

Njoki explained that the family has tried to reach many friends and relatives but none of them has any information about the missing brothers.

The family has also searched in different hospitals in Nakuru County, to no avail.

“We do not know if the two are alive. We are urging anybody who may have seen them share the information with the family. I do not want to imagine they were kidnapped or harmed.” Njeri said, sobbing.

Macharia has 2 wives and is a father of 4, while Kamau has 7 children and 2 wives. The family urged the police to hasten the investigations. 

Bahati sub-County Police Commander Jacinta Wangechi revealed that she was informed of the case

Disciplinary action in schools is good for positive behavioural change. Through discipline conducive learning environments created and when it's perfectly achieved in schools it becomes instrumental in learners academic performance. 

The study by the Masaai Mara University students from the School of Education, Department of Educational Management Policy and Curriculum Studies concentrated on the examination of the influence of suspension as a discipline oversight strategy on KCSE performance in public secondary schools in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya. 

The objective of this survey was to ascertain the influence of suspension, on the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) performance. The county has had a tendency of grade wastage from Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) to KCSE. 

The research adopted an illustrative survey research design which used a mixed-method approach. The study targeted 104 public high schools in Tharaka-Nithi County, with ten boys secondary schools, 17 girls schools & 77 mixed secondary schools. 

purposive sampling, Stratified random method and Krejcie and Morgan population sample table were employed to distinguish the sample size.  Respondents in this study were Principals and teachers. Interview schedule for 346 teachers and 21 principals were employed as tools for data collection.

The analysis sampled 42 secondary schools, which constituted 40 per cent of the overall population size. The researcher assembled the instruments with outstanding judgment by supervisors. Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient (α) was used to determine the reliability of the instruments. 

A pilot investigation of 10 per cent of the sampled schools and respondents was conducted from each school category. Alpha index of 0.869 was obtained for the teachers’ samplings. The reliability of the interview roster was ensured by the consistency of the questions and the order in which they were attended to. 

The analysis used descriptive statistics which comprised of frequencies, mean (measures of central tendencies) and standard deviation (measures of dispersion). Inferential statistics Pearson was wielded to assessing the relationships of the hypotheses with the assistance of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) in evaluating the data. 

The data from the interview directory was categorized thematically, transcribed and later submitted verbatim in order to triangulate the outcomes. 

The results disclosed that the suspension of indisciplined learners negatively impacts KCSE Performance. The findings of this analysis are intended to be of advantage to numerous stakeholders, who are sensitized with contemporary knowledge on alternative disciplinary techniques to be employed on students’ discipline in schools. 

The policymakers are assisted to emerge with a new policy on the practice of alternative correctional methods in schools.

The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) wish to inform you of the following:

That the delivery of 2020 Business, Technical, Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) and Special Needs Education (SNE) examination materials will take place from 4th October 2020 to 9th October 2020. 

You are requested to inform the Deputy County.
Commissioners to be available for ease of receiving the materials;

That the 2019 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) academic certificates will be delivered to the Counties/ Sub Counties between 4th October 2020 and 9th October 2020.

That during the same time, Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) officers will collect the 2020 KCPE and KCSE registration nominal rolls. In regard to this, you are requested to have collected them from the Heads of Institutions.

Please bring this information to the attention of all the heads of institutions and officers in charge of registration of the private candidates in your Sub
County.

Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha on Tuesday told a parliamentary committee that phased re-opening will be the way to go as standard Eight and Form Four learners will resume first. 

Magoha without issuing the exact re-opening dates, however, noted it is time Kenya reopens schools giving examples of neighbouring countries such as Angola and Zambia which have resumed learning after the pandemic.

He noted that the problem they were facing is that they need to know to reopen schools. He, however, noted that 

The former University of Nairobi VC stated that Covid-19 situation may not improve in the near future but the co ern.ent was doing everything possible to make sure that the next year 2020 will be different from what Kenya is undergoing currently.

“Allow me to tell you that right now the students are not in school and they are not at home.” Professor Magoha said.

Magoha remarked that the social distance will be challenging but he remained confident that with the achievement of other mitigation aspects like face masks, sanitizers and handwashing, learners can be safe in schools.

The CS announced that they will examine how the tertiary and university students are confronting the issue and will be compelled to bite the bullet.

At the KICC on the 12th presidential address on the COVID-19 in the Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta asked the nation to focus on ‘how’ schools would reopen instead of ‘when’.

He tasked the Education Cabinet Secretary to formulate modalities on how the learners can return safely in schools before declaring openly the resumption date. He noted that schools will reopen only when the safety of the learners is guaranteed.

Magoha was also mandated by the head of state to issue out the academic centre after 'how to return to school' has been met.

The Cabinet Secretary was appearing before the Education Committee at the National Assembly to update them on safety measures for re-opening of learning institutions.

The nominated Member of Parliament Hon Wilson Sossion backed the reopening of schools idea. Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General said that it was time to reopen schools adding that we will be foolish to continue keeping children at home.

The Education professor Magoha further explained that only the Board of Management(BOM) teachers with TSC registration numbers were assumed for the Sh10,000 payment from the education ministry to schools.

He noted that instead of putting the TSC numbers some teachers listed national identification number which will not guarantee the payment. EducationPermanent Secretary DR Belio Kipsang indicated that only bonafide BOM teachers would be paid.

Kipsang informed MPs that the ministry of Education has shelled out payment for about 27,000 BoM teachers who were verified and those who were omitted will receive their paychecks soon.