Students Should Not Be Sent Home On Account Of School Fees

By Getrude Matayo

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said that no child should be sent home on account of school fees, both in the private and public sectors. Magoha said this on Monday when he coordinated the reopening of schools in Nairobi County at Olympic primary school.

Earlier, CS George Magoha announced the phased re-opening of schools for Competency-Based Curriculum Class Grade 4, class 8, and Form four learners on Monday 12^th October.

In a statement, Cabinet Secretary George Magoha also announced the dates for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) as well as the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE)

“For boarding schools, may I plead with principals to ensure that no child is sent home on account of school fees,” Magoha said.

The CS said with the progressive reopening of schools, all protocols of MoH have been put in place. CS Magoha added that schools must ensure mandatory use of face masks and monitoring of body temperatures of learners.

“Should there be an emergency, and a child needs help, every parent and every teacher should act as a guardian. We cannot wait until you figure out who the parent of the child is; this is our African culture,” he said.

The 10-member special task force created by Education CS George Magoha has advised that all students report to school on Monday, October 26^th.

In the latest recommendations, students in pre-primary one and tow, grades one and to three, class five to seven, as well as those, in form one to three are to report back to school from October 26^th to November 2^nd.

This is the same task force whose submission resulted in Teachers being ordered back to school by the Education CS after being formed on May 12 to advise on the reopening of schools.

“With the new proposals, the education system in Kenya will normalize by end of December 2021”,

During his visits to Olympic Primary school, Magoha said there will be a record of children who have pre-existing conditions so that the necessary attention can be given to them. TSC last week said 337,432 tutors had reported back to schools ahead of reopening on Monday, October 12.

TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia went on to assure parents that strict Covid-19 containment measures had been put in place in readiness for the student’s return.

Some of the measures and protocols include mandatory use of face masks, monitoring of body temperature, and observance of high levels of hygiene.