Education CS Prof George Magoha on Tuesday announced that
the 2020 school calendar had been lost due to Covid-19.
This meant that there will be no national examinations this
year and schools will reopen in January 2021.
However, some parents had already cleared school fees and wonder
how they will be compensated.
Mercy Akinyi, who has a son in high school, said she had
already paid fees for the first two terms but has not received any
communication from the school’s administration on whether the payment will be
carried forward.
“I had already paid my boy’s fees for first and second term.
The first term was disrupted and from the look of things, there will be no
learning this year.
“I agree that schools should not be reopened just yet but
what happens to the money we had paid?” she asked.
Her sentiments were shared by Martin Kiilu who stated that
he had also cleared school fees for the entire year.
Earlier, CS Magoha stated that it is also impossible to
allow candidates back in school because that may mean there will be two Form
One class cohorts in 2021 and equity challenges will arise if only two classes
reopen and transition.
“The number of teachers required will increase because
secondary schools will have a challenge of having enough teachers, especially
for optional subjects, to meet the demand of split classes.
“In Form One, the compulsory subjects are 11, which will
necessitate employment of more teachers to handle the Form One double intake
cohorts,” said Magoha.
He also expressed concern regarding intercounty movement
especially for those in boarding schools since there will be students
travelling from Nairobi, Mombasa and other counties with high rates of
infection.
“Since the infection curve is rising as we approach
September, many parents have expressed strong reservations regarding sending
their children to school.
“The 2020 school calendar year will be considered lost due to Covid-19 restrictions,” he said.