Magoha should consider re-opening all schools

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has said that government may consider opening universities in September (see P7).

He said that many colleges had made adequate Covid preparations and teacher training colleges needed to re-open for the Competency Based Curriculum.

Magoha was wary about re-opening primary and secondary schools under pressure from private schools and pointed out that some teaching at community level had started in July as a stopgap.

It is good news that tertiary institutions may be re-opening but Magoha should seriously consider allowing primary and secondary schools to start teaching again.

Countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, USA, UK and France have opened, or are opening, their schools.

Now that the first wave has passed, their view is that children should not be deprived of education.

Kenya too has survived the first wave. There have been many infections but our death rate is lower than Europe or America. Moreover children and young people are less susceptible to illness although they can still spread it.

Let's re-open primary and secondary schools in September but ensure that parents provide their children with face masks and sanitiser to protect teachers and other adults from Covid infection.

Quote of the day: "Without humility there can be no humanity."

John Buchan
The Scottish-Canadian writer was born on August 26, 1875