The schedule to have all students report back to school next week October 26, 2020 has been halted after CS for Health Mutahi Kagwe failed to approve.
The spike in COVID-19 cases has raised the possibility of a lockdown that could consequently result in the closure of schools .
The positivity rate has risen to 12% and the Health CS has urged Kenyans to be cautious.
Kahi Indimuli, Chairman of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association said that a number of headteachers across the country are in dilemma over the reopening of schools for all students.
“We would have wished to have all the students back in school but looking at the Covid-19 figures, we have to ask if it will be advisable to reopen. That is the fear we have,” he stated.
The chairman further urged the Ministry of Health to issue a definitive statement regarding the proposed reopening of schools for the rest of the students.
The chair of the National Parents Association Nicholas Maiyo informed the media that a petition was ready to have all schools closed in case any student tests positive for Covid-19.
The 10-member special task force created by Education CS George Magoha had called for the October 26 return date for all students.
However, the issue of capacity amid the recent spike has raised questions.
Grade 4, Class 8 and Form 4 learners who are already in school have been spread across the classes in an attempt to adhere to social distancing rule.
The schools are full and cannot accommodate the rest of the learners in the same space should all learners be asked to report to school as proposed.
The national chairman of Kenya Primary Schools Association Kenya (KPSA) Nicholas Gathemia stated that meeting social distance will be a challenge when all children report to school.
“For now we do not have a problem because we have spread them (learners) across the classes. But we do not know what will happen when the rest of classes come,” said Gathemia.