School reopening dates set to 19th October 2020: education committee
The Daily Nation on Sunday, September 20, reported that the committee had settled on Monday, October 19, 2020, as the preferred schools reopening date countrywide.
The committee further advised the Ministry of Education to push forward the KCSE and KCPE examinations to April 2021.
The publication further indicated that Magoha had already scheduled a meeting on Monday, September 21, when the committee is expected to present him with their findings.
The committee chaired by Sarah Ruto from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) also recommended that the school calendar be altered to kick off in June as opposed to usual January-November cycle.
The team argued that if the calendar is adopted, the second term would begin in October and close at the end of November, while the third term starts in January and ends in March.
That would mean that the next academic year would either begin in May or June hence no pupils or students would be forced to repeat classes as earlier touted.
In its report, the team is also set to present two proposals to the CS in an attempt to curb the sporadic spread of Covid-19 virus after schools resume.
In the first proposal, the committee recommends that only form four and form three students as well as class eight, seven and grade four pupils should report on October 19.
This is to help tutors prepare adeptly to have the Covid-19 measures observed promptly before the other learners join on November 2, 2020.
In the second proposal, the committee suggested that the entire student population be allowed to return to school on October 19, all in one go
The proposals come five months after CS George Magoha constituted the committee in May and charged it with exploring the best possible strategies of restoring normalcy in Education.
In early June, the CS had maintained that schools would remain shut until the Ministry of Health provided guidance through the National Emergency Response Committee on Covid-19.