Final year students should be a priority when universities and colleges reopen in January, the Education ministry has directed.
The reopening of universities and colleges was pushed to January after the state established that the institutions are not prepared to curb the spread of the coronavirus in case of a breakout.
The ministry had in June told teacher training colleges (TTCs), universities and technical and vocational institutions (TVETs) to prepare for reopening in September.
However, as the institutions continue to prepare, University Education PS Simon Nabukwesi said the institutions will have to undergo an inspection once they comply with Health ministry guidelines to curb the spread of the virus.
The PS further asked the institutions to consider a phased opening targeting the final year students who are to sit their exams. This, he explained, will help the institutions achieve the required social distancing measures.
“Once you comply with the Covid-19 prevention guidelines, a compliance checklist will be used as a guide during the inspection by the health and education ministry teams to ascertain if all the requirements have been put in place before you are allowed to reopen,” Nabukwesi said.
He is in the coastal region on inspection of projects to aid the reopening of the Technical University of Mombasa and Pwani University in Kilifi.
The institutions hope to reopen in September was shelved after the government declared they were at no capacity to curb an outbreak of coronavirus in the institutions, thus putting the health of the staff and students at risk.
Even in their closure, the institutions have also not been spared by the pandemic; the University of Nairobi for instance has so far reported 20 confirmed positive cases and five deaths linked to the virus.
Upon reopening, the institutions will be required to conform with social distancing of at least 1.5m requirements, especially in halls of residence, libraries, lecture rooms and dining halls. The institutions will also be required to have handwashing facilities.
"Preferably with foot-operated washing areas with soap and water at designated entry points and lecture halls is a mandatory requirement as well as sprayable or automatic hand sanitiser," the PS said.
So too, students and staff will be required to wear face masks, while the institutions conduct regular body temperature checks within the institutions.
Nabukwesi also noted that the two Coastal universities have a well-established and robust ICT infrastructure which has enabled continuous interactive and effective teaching and learning process as well as online registration and induction for the new students which had already commenced this month.
He encouraged them to consider establishing centres of excellence in specific academic courses to attract a high number of students in specialised areas of study.
The PS at the same time urged lecturers, especially those teaching TVET programmes to take advantage of government-offered scholarships to advance their academic studies if they are to remain relevant to the present times and provide quality teaching in the universities.
Edited by R.Wamochie
