The National Covid-19 Education Response Committee led by Sarah Ruto has now said all stakeholders and the public are free to channel their views on the best possible practices in reopening schools.
“The Committee now invites all stakeholders and the public to submit their views on the best possible national response in line with the committee’s terms of reference for the basic education sub-sector,” Ruto said in a statement.
It is now clear that parents and teachers who had initially been excluded from this crucial school reopening plan, will have their say concerning the most safest way learning can resume three months after Covid-19 pandemic took education sector to its knees.
This move comes amid raising concerns from Kenya National Union of Teachers(KNUT) and the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) for deliberate exclusion from the committee that was formed by the ministry of education.
“The union despite being a principal player in the Basic Education sub-sector, Magoha has continued to maliciously exclude it from major decision-making processes that would define the future of education of this country,” said Sossion.
“Anything without our involvement and participation cannot be for us. Nothing for us without us,” added the SG.
According to the committee’s chairperson, the public has a one-week window to submit their written memoranda to the committee’s secretariat.
Those who wish to submit their views can do so via email to covid19erc@kicd.ac.ke or through P.O Box 30231-00100, Nairobi to be received on or before 22nd May 2020 by 5:00p.m.
The National Covid-19 Education response committee is mandated to, among other things, advise on reopening of basic education institutions, comprising pre-primary, primary, secondary schools, teacher training colleges and adult education institutions.
It is also expected to review and re-organise the school calendar as part of the Covid-19 post-recovery strategy.
Furthermore, it will explore and advise the CS on the health and safety measures to be put in place for the students, teachers and the entire school community.