As schools reopen on Monday, things will look very different as families grapple with the aftermath of the pandemic.
While most students will return to in-person learning in January, uncertainty still surrounds the right way to reopen schools.
Different stakeholders have given suggestions to reignite the school system; however, each scenario comes with its own set of challenges, opportunities, and anxieties.
Trapped, sometimes disoriented, and anxious about an unclear future, children now need communication, support, and guidance from educators, says Indimuli Kahi, the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association.
Upon reopening, Kahi says that the institutions will be working to recover 23 weeks lost during the lockdown.
In the recovery, he says learners could be saved from wasting any time that could give rise to the often fought early morning and evening remedial classes, Saturday classes, and possibly holiday tuition could be adopted in the rush against time.
Indimuli says, without funding, activities are threatened and Covid-19 could jeopardize learners’ safety.
“The heads should also seek training for both teachers and learners in coronavirus prevention strategies. The training should be backed by continuous psychosocial support for learners as they continue to adjust back in school‚” he says
The heads want a high premium placed on outdoor classes and remedial for upper classes allowed. Outdoor classes, Kahi says, will utilize the available space in institutions and ensure safe distancing.
The Kenya parents association, chairman Nicholas Maiyo, says with all the pressure anticipated in the recovery process, the government should psychologically help both learners and teachers.
“Each child needs someone to hold her in this confusing time, to help her into a place where she is seen, known, understood, supported, and customized opportunities to learn‚,” Maiyo said.
He advises parents to be more involved in their children’s returns to school, work with them to create a schedule, and invest more time in their child’s education than they have in the past.
“During the lockdown, the conversion to remote learning was done in a rushed fashion by people with no or limited experience with remote instruction‚” he explains.
Headteachers say that for school operations to fully resume, the government and parents will need to ensure funds availability.
In the new calendar, the second term for classes yet to reopen will run between January 4 and March 19. This will also be the third term for Grade 4, KCPE, and KCSE candidates.