Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha has blamed the media for misrepresenting his statements on school reopening. The Cabinet Secretary clarified that all learning institutions will resume learning in 2021 January as earlier stated.
Speaking in Kilifi County when inspecting the readiness of Pwani University on 9th September 2020, Professor Magoha told journalists that they were misquoting his statements over re-opening of schools adding that media has made him portrayed like a fool.
He said he won't say a word with regards to the resumption of learning due to the Fourth Estate's habit of writing rigorously what did not come from his word. The Education protested the manner in which the media ask him the same questions and later portray things differently.
The cabinet secretary insisted that the government has not changed it's position on school reopening nor universities and middle-level colleges noting that reopening date for all Kenyan schools was Jan 2021 and that was clear from when schools closed in March.
The Education CS, however, maintained that if the virus behaves and the schools are able to comply with the Covid-19 pandemic protocols then the government will have to relook the situation. He blamed Media houses for portraying him like someone who never stepped foot in school, one who flip flops with statements adding that be was not in that kind of nonsense.
Sh1.9 Million Set For The Purpose Of Making Desks.
The Education Ministry head revealed that the government was dedicated to doing the best in ensuring that learning institutions complied with the Covid-19 health protocols noting that Ksh1.9 billion has already been set aside for the purpose of making desks for all primary and secondary learning institutions in the country.
Professor Magoha added that the government had established a prototype of the kind of desks it wants to be made for the learning institutions noting that all the 47 counties in Kenya were represented in Nairobi in the selection of the types of desks to be made and in which is to replicate by artisans at the sub-counties level.
All the desks, the CS revealed that they will be all ready before the reopening of schools adding that the design of the desks had put into consideration safety requirements of students. He said that he will hold a meeting with education stakeholders later this week on Friday to discuss further on the modalities and changes of sitting agreements ahead of the school reopening.
TVETs Institutions Preparedness For Re-opening
The ministry head argued that it won't be realistic to gamble with the lives of Kenyan children noting that only two TVET learning institutions in Kenya had met the setdown protocols for reopening. He noted that thermoguns were missing in some institutions while most institutions did not ensure that there was enough distance for social distancing.
The Cabinet Secretary criticized those campaigning for earlier re-opening of learning institutions citing ignorance on their side. He reiterated that stakeholders are in agreement that learning institutions can only re-open when the curve has flattened.
