NAIROBI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The protracted silence which fell on Kenyan schools after the government ordered their closure is finally being replaced by the chatter of young learners and the illustrative echoes of teachers.
Even with this exciting news some students enrolled in private schools will have to wait a little longer as their learning facilities folded under the economic pressure occasioned by the pandemic.
"On Dec. 30, I received a text message indicating the school would be closed with the correspondence advising me to scout for another school. This came barely a few days from the official opening date set by the government, my heart sunk," Mike Kimathi, a senior high school student told Xinhua on Tuesday.
Kimathi's old school is located in a densely populated suburb of Nairobi. It offered both primary and secondary schooling with the secondary level now remaining shut, according to parents and students.
The youth now forms part of the 56,000 learners from private schools across the country, left in limbo after their schools closed shop, citing deteriorating cash-flows.
After a nine-month closure, learning institutions opened in-person leaning to the delight of learners on Monday. Private schools are expected to open over the week.
According to the CEO of Kenya Private School Association (KPSA), at least 339 private schools have shut down, with an expected influx of new admissions in government-sponsored schools further exacerbating the challenge of social distancing.
With only three months left until Kimathi sits for his final exams, his parents are faced with the daunting challenge of sourcing for a new school and shouldering the unprecedented cost of joining a new learning facility.
In another private school, a few kilometers away from Nairobi's central business district; plans are underway to make COVID-19 impenetrable with hand washing points strategically put up and classrooms organized to achieve the social distancing objective.
"We are preparing to receive our students on Thursday, and we are optimistic that the turnout will be 90 if not 100 percent. I want to assure parents that schools will not become a breeding ground for COVID-19 due to the strict measures we have enforced," said Morris Malowa, an administrator at Nairobi's Rockville School.
Kenya's Ministry of Education has been working in tandem with other stakeholders on protocols that will guarantee learners' safety. In September, staggered learning was initiated for examinable classes.
On Sunday, a day before reopening, stakeholders came out to amplify their commitment to seeing learners report to school.
"I want to affirm very strongly that the government of Kenya has done everything to ensure that our schools are ready for reopening, in the past few months we have had our officers completing the delivery of desks that are set to make learning more comfortable for students," said George Magoha, cabinet minister in the Ministry of Education.
The said desks are part of the government effort to facilitate social distancing in government-sponsored schools. So far more than 500,000 desks have been deployed to public schools.
Back to Malowa, and he singles out school transportation as one of the administration's headaches.
"Ferrying learners in good time while adhering to social distancing regulations presents us a challenge, however, we are looking at a few stopgap solutions in the meantime," said Malowa.
Jacinta Kariuki, proprietor of a private school lamented the loss of her teachers who have since engaged in other revenue-generating activities.
"My workforce has dwindled and with a good reason, teachers and workers sought for alternative sources of income while the school remained closed. My focus now is on hiring new teachers before I open the school within the week," said Kariuki.
She is now calling on the government to honor its promise and remit 7 billion shillings (about 64 million U.S. dollars) worth of concessional loans to private schools to help them with resumption.
Another private school within Nairobi spotted posters on its premises, indicating it was not admitting new students, dampening the spirits of parents seeking vacancies.
"I have been around a few schools and the narrative is the same, they do not have the facilities to accommodate new entries. What should we do now, continue keeping the children at home?" A parent said. Enditem
