Schools Should Reopen As Per Schedule – Wilson Sossion

Despite President Uhuru Kenyatta issuing indefinite curfew orders, Wilson Sossion, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General has addressed the issue of school reopening slated for May.

Wilson Sossion revealed that he hoped schools would reopen on May 10, 2021, as per the schedule developed by the Ministry of Education in late 2020 during an interview, today’s morning on Citizen TV

Mr. Sossion said that it was prudent for the state to shorten the holiday of students to avoid exposing them to other toxic societal engagements.

“We are urging the government to restructure and ensure that schools are exempted from the measures within a short time. We hope by that time all teachers will have been vaccinated.

“We hope by May 9 all learners should be able to go back to school. Imagine a situation of another prolonged stay, we will not receive students but some form of other citizens,” argued Sossion.

COVID-19 has affected the way children around the world experience education and, for many, attending school has not even been an option.

Read More: Teachers Threaten To Go On Strike In Two Weeks

Kenya has experienced one of the longest school closures of the continent and is the last country in East Africa to fully reopen its schools.

Comparing the new closure with that of 2020 that began in March, the nominated MP further argued that students would engage in drug abuse if the new measures keep them out of class for longer.

In 2020, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF raised concerns about prolonged school closures due to COVID-19, stating that they may increase the risks of teenage pregnancy, poor nutrition, and permanent school dropouts for children in poorer countries.

KNUT Secretary-General challenged the state to pursue ways in which as the country institutes lockdown to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus, students in all learning institutions get spared closures.

He says that their prayer is that this time around, it should not be prolonged. The net effect of prolonged closure was so devastating and the damage to children outweighs the reasons for closure.

He added that he hopes the suspension of schools and learning institutions is going to be very brief. Sossion urged the government to reconsider and approach so that the calendar that had been designed towards the end of last year is not interrupted.