In preparation for re-opening, the following should be carried out:

Create the capacity of school staff, students/pupils, Boards of Management (BOM) and parents in managing COVID 19.

Ensure sufficient clean running water and sanitation establishments in the schools and obtain water tanks where necessary.

Develop the strategies on hygiene and measures of social distance before school re-opening.

Stock up the school with crucial supplies such as disinfectants, face masks, liquid soaps, non-touch thermometers, and first aid kits.

Collaborate with the school sponsors to guarantee the upkeep of psychosocial and religious services.

Outline an emergency health centre that is less than ten Kilometres from the school and liaise with the County Government to be assigned some health staff in school for regular assessment and sensitization.

Conduct risk assessment for relevant focusing on water, space, sanitation, transport, provision of meals of learners through the risk assessment matrix, issued by the Ministry of Education and generate mitigation measures. 

Ensure guidelines for issuance of letter of compliance to the schools is observed.

Keep in touch with parents, learners and teachers on: Health and safety regulations

Re-opening of schools based on the academic calendar released by the ministry of education.

Compose COVID19 response committee for the institution to organize response techniques comprising of 5 members, one learner, teachers, non-teaching staff, and one BOM member.

Make sure there is a designated room within the learning institution for sickbay usage or temporary isolation in situation presumed cases arise in the institution.

Ensure rules and regulations of institutions are revised and daily routine to be responsive to the upheavals caused by COVID 19.

Maintain positive demeanour on governments efforts to prevent the spread of COVID 19.

Maintain updated biodata of all learners and contact numbers and home addresses of the parents /guardians/caregivers for ease of management of emergencies.

Ensure that all pupils and students including those with disabilities are appropriately educated on COVID 19 applicable measures via sign-language interpretation, easy captioning etc.

Refurbish, modify, or install as necessary the,l disability, age and gender-appropriate hygiene facilities such as toilets, washrooms and bathrooms to reduce congestion.

Foster learner’s movement policies such as assigning entrances and exits for several learners’ cohorts, partitioned common spaces and foot markings to direct foot traffic-flows.

Clean and disinfect institutions facilities, such as washrooms using clean water and disinfectants and oftentimes touched surfaces.

Ensure adequate security and safety measures, including the provision of a fence /barrier and guards to restrict entry to and exit from the institutional premise.

Prohibit entrance of visitors into the premise and abolish institution events like motivation events until further notice.

Adjust and revise the institution allocations of money and resources to reflect the existing priorities dealing with the effect of COVID 19 such as enhanced hygiene management.

The institution should Identify teachers, learners and no teaching staff with pre-existing health conditions and confirm proper health attention.

Weekly progress report on the status of institution health and safety that might compromise curriculum implementation will be submitted to the Sub-County Director- Education.

 Regularly, simply and accurately give learners and staff any important information to ensure that they get informed on important developments.

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU)  yesterday warned the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of a plan to terminate its Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with former giant union KNUT.

Speaking at the Solidarity Headquarters, Nairobi, COTU secretary-general Mr Francis Atwoli affirmed that any ventures by the TSC to disobey its CBA and invalidate its Recognition Agreement (RA) will be met with enormous force.

Mr Atwoli announced that all Cotu comrades stand with the Kenya national union of teachers and are ready to solve the situation by all means necessary.

Breaks between the KNUT and the TSC started up shortly after they both signed the 2013-2017 CBA pay deal. It's the interpretation of the issues contained in the CBA that developed animosity between the teacher's union and the TSC. 

In November 2019, the teacher's employer threatened to terminate the CBA it signed with the teachers union over the mass exit that reduced the union's membership. The mass exit was influenced by fights between KNUT and TSC.

The TSC boss Dr Nancy Macharia asserted that with 318,000 members in primary schools, the union needed 159,000 extra teachers, for the CBA to exist. Thanks to the court order that saved the day.

According to TSC, KNUT's membership at that moment had drastically fallen from over 200,001 members in the past 4 years to less than 116,000 teachers only.

The implementation of the 2017/2021 CBA was halted by the commission this year after a court ruled against the implementation of Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) terms of employment giving the commission the advantage to the commission.

TSC interpreted the ruling stating that Knut teachers we're not eligible to benefit from the 3rd phase of the CBA and neither could its members be promoted. This is now when the mass exodus of Knut membership begun as all teachers we're thirsting for the Ksh13 billion salary increment. The union membership is currently said to be at 100,000 only.

Cotu requested that the teachers union register be reclaimed unconditionally with immediate effect noting that the persistent attack on KNUT by Teachers Service Commission was worrying and that such attacks COTU will battle it out.

Atwoli demanded TSC to respect unions and honour their commitment to remit agency fees and union dues and to teachers unions. He called the Ministry of Labour Cabinet Secretary to gazette pending agency fee bids from all unions without negligence.

COTU will now head to court over the failure by the Labour Cabinet Secretary to implement his authorization as established by law. Atwoli insisted that the Ministry of Education should facilitate harmonious working condition between the commission and the union.

The second month since the government announced that the Board of Management teachers would be paid some money, it has emerged that a good number of teachers are yet to be paid.

"I graduated in 2016, and l have been teaching in that school since 2017. We are ten BOM teachers, the school didn't receive money, even the principal doesn't understand why, but we have so many schools that didn't receive." A teacher from Bungoma told Teachers Updates.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday, July 27th, while chairing the National and County Governments Coordinating Summit at State House, Nairobi, authorized Ukur Yattani from the treasury together with Education CS  Magoha to hasten the payment of Bom teachers.

Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha stated that all BOM money had been processed and released for payment directly to their school accounts with a good number of teachers confirming to have received money by yesterday. To some, the situation was different.

"Have been denied bom funds released by the government, the principal argues that he fired me on April and yet ministry stated clearly that any twhoer whom was working as at 16th march was to be paid." A BOM teacher at Milimani secondary in Nakuru county, Nakuru country told Teachers Updates. 

During the payment process, it was realized that some BOM teachers were permanently discharged or sent on compulsory leave as others chose to resign after it arose that learning institutions may shut down for long.

This led to big disparities on the definitive list of verified BOM teachers. For example,  according to Trans Nzoia County, TSC data 1,305 teachers were under BOM employment but after scrutiny by MoE, it was found that only 903 teachers were actively on the payroll.

But BOM teachers who were either fired sent on leave or just quitted during the pandemic period argue that the Ministry through its circular signed by Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang stated that the payment was to be made on teachers who were on the payroll as at 15th of March 2020.

INTERVIEW DATES
The interview dates for the advertised recruitment and replacement jobs by TSC commence next week on Monday 28th, 2020. Most BOM teachers complain of not getting an invitation for interviews 48 hours less to the kickoff.

Financial challenges are also becoming an issue here since a good number of them are yet to receive the BOM money. Others are hopeless as their schools are said not to have received money for all the BOM teachers.

REPORTING TO SCHOOLS
The Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission(TSC) directed teachers to report to school on Monday 28th of September. This is the same date the TSC interviews will begin across the country with a most probable situation that many of them won't report to schools on Monday.

Others are decided not to report to their previous institutions due to what they term as bad relationships with their bosses during the coronavirus pandemic period.
Schools were closed down in March following the first case of COVID19 in Kenya.  Some private schools have shut down permanently due to financial challenges.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) yesterday instructed the state to make sure all learners get 3 re-usable masks upon schools reopening next month.

Led by Kuppet chairman Omboko Milemba, the union projected Ksh1 billion cost of face masks for about 12 million basic school learners in Kenya.

Milemba noted that sanitizers and clean water in schools would be important for achieving health protocols. He expressed his optimism stating that reopening of schools is not hard when there's enough water in schools.

Milemba also called the Ministry of Education to identify students from private schools that permanently shut down during the Covid-19 period and take them to public schools.

The Kuppet chairman emphasized on the importance of reopening schools beginning with candidates and those in standard 7 followed by form 4s and form 3s later and finally the rest of the learner population.

Milemba explained that funds should be disbursed to all public schools to guarantee effective operations as parents seek means of raising school fees which may not be obtained instantly.

Milemba announced that the Ministry of Education needs to request money from Treasury ahead of school reopening in order to disburse to all public learning institutions to enable them to achieve their needs. 

On the academic calendar, the curriçulum and coverage of syllabus, Kuppet noted that that problem will be addressed by the Ministry of Education together with the Teachers Service Commission.

Omboko Milemba asked Kenyans to have their faith in teachers who will conduct the curriculum and teach the curriculum to ensure that exams are can be done early,” said Milemba.

Teachers are expected to report to school on Monday to prepare for the reopening of schools in October.

Parents have complained of unpreparedness to reopen as some stakeholders think that the country is not yet ready to reopen.

Many Kenyans considered this academic year lost and strategies to reopen schools have raised crucial concerns around national examinations and term dates:

The education stakeholders allege that a debate over examination dates is premature. Media sources say that candidates will return to class first and are likely to sit for their national examination in April 2021. But questions about syllabus coverage and the practicality of sitting for exams within that period of time continues to arise. 

According to the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), Kisumu executive secretary, Zablon Awange, the government must swallow their humble pile and reintroduce tuition that it had banned previously if we are to cover the syllabus as and the students are doing the exams in April, then 

Zablon Awange noted that full reopening is not possible with social distancing in place adding that without tuition,  the country should introduce double shifts for students.

"Exams to me can be done any time as long as the learners are well prepared, given time to complete the syllabus, given the time to revise, and the Teachers are set to do that so that when that time comes the children have confidence in facing the exams." Said John Awiti the County  Education Executive Committee Member CEECM, Kisumu.

Authorities say that all this talk is unnecessary. "Why are you talking about exams? They are not yours, it is the curriculum that will be teaching. We would decide how learners will take exams and what types of exams in liaison with the agency" Sossion said during a press release at the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) headquarters.

John Awiti said that the time exams are done formal arrangements will be done on marking and then the results will be out. Decisions will be made by relevant authorities on how to do it, the Universities will know when to hand in these students that are supposed to join them, and the tertiary colleges will know the time they can admit the students.

"So To me, that one is not a serious issue and this debate should stop on the opening of schools." John Awiti said adding that we don't need to rush the children to meet the syllabus but we can allow them to cover what is expected of them and when the appropriate time comes they will move to the next class. 

"In a short period those questions of students repeating and doing that… It shall be handled. The government will announce and will pronounce and that's it" Sossion. Other concerns are whether the December holiday will be observed as usual or will be cut short to recover the lost time. 

Learning institutions could resume learning between 4th and 19th of October. Information reaching our desk is that half of the learners could return in the first round of resumption. 

According to the stakeholders meeting that was held on 21st Monday 2020, three days were selected as a possible resumption dates, which are 4th, 12th and 19th of October 2020. The reopening dates will be chosen according to the preparedness level of learning institutions. 

The reopening of schools will be in phases whereby 50 per cent of learners will resume classroom leaning and this group of learners comprise of grade 4 children, standard 7, 8 pupils and the form 4 candidates. 

This group of learners will probably resume between 4th and 19th of October considering how fast learning institutions will be prepared in terms of Covid-19 health precautions. 

Sources attached to Citizen TV reveal that the rate at which teachers will prepare their learning institutions in terms of desks and beds arrangements, installing clean running water points, enhancing social distance and all other health protocols will define which of the 3 dates will be suitable for reopening. 

For learners to reopen schools on the 4th of October, all measures need to be met by Next week 28th of September. But in case much precautions will not have been met by then, students will be forced to reopen on October 12th or even 19th depending on the situation that will be in place by then. 

After the first date of resumption, the predicament will be analyzed and any crises that will emanate will be solved before the second phase of learners meets their schoolmates one or two weeks after. 

Learners will be required to cover the term two syllabus between the months of October and December, supposing coverage of term one syllabus was met before schools we're locked down in Mid-March. 

In December, learners will have a two-week holiday to celebrate their Christmas season before they return back to class in January for the third term syllabus coverage. 

The National Examinations will be done in April next year before the new academic calendar is developed in May next year. This will ensure that all learners do not repeat in their classes.

The recommendations by the committee will be evaluated by a sub-Cabinet commission which who will later deliver its suggestions to President Kenyatta before his next press release. 

Already, teachers, have been directed by the Teachers Service Commission to report to their respective schools by Monday next week to make arrangements for the reopening of schools. 

Mombasa county's Education office has announced that learning institutions are ready to resume learning from October 4th.

The education ministry and the Teachers Service Commission(TSC) on Monday instructed all teachers to go back to schools by next week September 28 for preparations for the resumption of learning.

Mombasa County Education chief officer John Musavu announced that teachers are prepared to resume duty adding that inspection is going on in all learning institutions to guarantee that the Health ministry's Covid-19 protocols are met in good time.

“A team is going round analyzing the level of preparation in all learning institutions using the elements provided by the Health Ministry, " Mr Mousavi the Country chief education officer explained. 

He affirmed that in the regions where water was inadequate, boreholes will be constructed to ensure there is enough running water. The officer noted that he has been in touch with pupils and students and that no one has acquired the virus. 

“We are working with the Health Department to assure that all learners and teachers undergo counselling upon reopening of schools,” Mr Mousavi stated.

He said learners will use classrooms, dining halls and even tents to guarantee social distance, adding that for institutions with no dining halls, students and pupils will attend classes in shifts from 7 to 1 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Honourable, Wilson Sossion, has said that learners are safer at school than at home.

The KNUT Sec-Gen was speaking during a press release at the KNUT headquarters on 22nd September 2020. He urged the media to be the champion of human rights in the country noting that KNUT is committed to ensuring that the gender rule is adhered to in all of its branches.

The union of teachers now says students and pupils will be safer in schools than at home. This is according to KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion. This comes a day after the Teachers Service Commission directed all teachers to report to schools by next week on Monday 28th September 2020.

However, he says the teachers are required to be keen in ensuring that both boys and girls in schools are treated equally upon a school's resumption. He emphasized that there are no negotiations or debates about that matter since the union has committed itself as Kenya's representatives.

He claimed that there will be a lot of work to do in school in terms of preparations. "One of the key preparations we are urging teachers to do is to begin developing a checklist of mapping out all the learners and identifying some of the challenges they might have had at home," Sossion said.

Sossion adding that Kenyan teachers have the best skills, instruments, and capacity to know what has happened to every child and to develop the necessary psychosocial support to the affected learners.

Sossion called all the pregnant school girls to report back to school promising them a warm welcome and maximum support till delivery even if it means giving them medical attention.

He observed that such pregnant school girls must be provided with nutritional support as well as medical care. He added that such girls will be linked to the medical facilities together with COVID-19 support.

Teachers to ensure that boys and girls, whether pregnant or not, will report back to school in spite of the challenges and situations they may have faced during this Coronavirus pandemic.

The Executive Director of Gender Violence Recovery Centre, Alberta Wambua, advised as the kids are used to 2-month holidays at most, 7 months holiday could be stressful for homeschooling.

Janet (Gender Desk) announced that they have sensitized other education stakeholders such as the Teachers Service Commission and other non-governmental organizations on gender-based violence.

Her sentiments were echoed by Alice Tuwei of KNUT who claimed that they have established centres where victims of gender-based violence in all schools can report to.

Tuwei added that the union is lobbying against gender-based violence in the nation in different ways including training the participants.

    A female teacher implicated for sexual misconduct by her secondary students in 2018 and expelled by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been reinstated.

    A Court chaired by Justice Hellen Wasilwa gave an order to the Teachers Service Commission that Hellen Khamali be rehired immediately. TSC was also ordered to pay teacher Hellen Khamali her full dues from when she was expelled from duty in 2019. 

    Mrs Kamali, a former English/literature teacher at Kabuyefwe Friends Boys Secondary School in Trans Nzoia County, was last year interdicted by TSC for unethical behaviour after 3 of her learners alleged that she had sexual connections with them.

    Still, Justice Hellen Wasilwa in her verdict remarked that Khamali was expelled without any proof. The action was unfair, unnecessary, and illegal and infringed her rights under the Kenyan Constitution.

    “I note that the petitioner is a young lady, a mother and wife whose career as a teacher was cut short by the illegality of TSC. The chances of her getting another job will be an uphill task unless she is reinstated,” the judge ruled.

    The court also judged that even though the teacher was given a chance to be listened to, the procedure taken by her boss was to be efficient and within the law.

    Judge Wasilwa noted that in the lawsuit, the Teachers Service Commission returned an invalid result of their hearing process of guilt when, indeed, there was no tangible evidence to substantiate the decision.

    The judge noted Article 41 of the Kenyan Constitution gives every individual a right to fair labour practices, and by no means shall an accused person be dismissed from employment without factual justifications.

    "It is not clear why the Teachers Service Commission proceeded to find her guilty without any evidence because the allegations against her were never produced during the initial investigations hearings," Justice Wasilwa read.

    The court also pointed out that Mrs Khamali had denied ever conversing to the secondary school students during the holiday and invited the TSC to produce call-logs to prove their accusation, but they failed. 

    In another allegation it was claimed that she had sent the student in question text messages during the holiday, asking him to meet her. 

    Justice Wasilwa noted that no such messages were produced in court, and even at the initial disciplinary hearing, the student who claimed to be having a sexual affair with Khamali could not give evidence at all.

    The student who had claimed that he was infected with an STD by Kamali cancelled his statements and even severally praised her for being a very good teacher.

    The Form 4 candidate contended that he was forced to compose the preliminary statement implicating the innocent teacher by the school principal who wanted to disentangle scores with the female teacher, Khamali.

Education CS Magoha Warns 
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha has warned the TVET institutions heads disobeying the government transfer in the government restructuring programme. 

“The president has tasked us to reengineer the TVET sector in this sector. If you have been transferred to another government institution, kindly hand over to the person who has come and move on unless otherwise.” the Education CS said.

More than 50 heads were shifted in the government massive transfers. Most of the transferred principals were shifted due to poor management of resources or inability to innovate and mentor their junior TVET institution.

"When you are reassigned and you refuse to move, it now starts creating suspicion on what you are doing that you don’t want to move,” CS Magoha stated.

Other school heads were shifted due to cautious management of the institution's funds and misunderstandings with the TVET boards. Some heads were transferred to restore sleeping institutions with growth capacities but have declined to transform due to bad leadership and management.

“No one is immune to changes no matter how good you are, " magoha noted adding that he was once ahead at the University of Nairobi for 10 years but had to vacate later. 

Some sources revealed that a few principals we're not in harmonious terms with the transfers and went on to persevere political interventions in order to maintain positions in their learning institutions.

According to the TVET Principal Secretary Julius Jwan, the carried-out deployments were normal for the government to achieve service of delivery. Julius Jwan accused some transferred heads from the Teachers Service Commission(TSC) offices of derailing to shape training to match the national goals.