- Education CS George Magoha also gave the green light to final-year science students in universities to report back.
- The decisions are a response to pressure from some stakeholders to resume in-person learning.
Primary and secondary school teachers will be the first to report back to school on or before Monday as directed by the Teachers Service Commission, their employer.
Over 380,000 teachers will resume work even as learners remain uncertain on when teaching will start.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha also gave the green light to final-year science students in universities to report back.
The decisions are a response to pressure from some stakeholders to resume in-person learning.
Learning resumes six months after the institutions were shut in mid-March.
TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia made the announcement on Monday following a meeting of the stakeholders at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development to map out reopening.
Macharia said teachers will ensure that learners recover the lost time.
“We wish to assure the country that our teachers are totally prepared and ready to help our children recover the lost time and save the academic year that was at risk of being lost. We know our teachers will do this and we ask all of you to support them,” he said.
Present during the meeting were officials from the Ministry of Education, Kenya National Union of Teachers, Kuppet, religious leaders, medical unions, parents and school heads associations.
On when schools will reopen, Magoha said, “We are waiting for the larger stakeholders' meeting which will be before September 28 to endorse the recommendations reached today.”
He said a committee appointed to lead the roadmap to the reopening of learning institutions had settled on an alternative calendar to guide the sector.
However, the CS did not divulge details of the new academic calendar as it is subject to approval by the stakeholders.
Reports in a section of the media indicate that the task force working on the reopening calendar had settled for mid-October as the appropriate reopening period.
Traditionally, the Education ministry has maintained the academic calendar flow to commence in January and end in December.
However, if adopted, the recommendation could alter the tradition and shift the calendar flow to conform with the financial year.
On Monday, Nicholas Maiyo, the Kenya Parents Association chairman, urged parents to return their children to school once they reopen.
Maiyo said studies conducted by WHO and Unicef put those under the age of 18 at the bottom of the list of risk of the virus.
He credited the flattening of the curve to the renewed campaign to reopen the institutions.
The parents association urged school heads to ensure institutions meet the basic minimum set by government to facilitate reopening.
“The parents need to know that the curve has flattened and that is why we are going back to class but following the health guidelines and regulations is not going to be optional,” Maiyo said.
He said they have recommended full reopening of the institutions, including for those with underlying medical conditions but with utmost care.
The association wants teachers over the age of 58 and those with medical conditions not to report back to school.
“They have to ensure no contact between themselves and the other population because they are more susceptible to the virus,” Maiyo said.
Last week, the Education ministry released guidelines for reopening of learning institutions.
Edited by Henry Makori