Massive Test for Teachers as all Students Report to School

There is a massive task ahead for teachers as all the students report to school since the onset of Covid-19 in the country.

This is the first time schools will have classes reopening during the Covid-19 pandemic after the education calendar was disrupted last year.

The change in the education last year meant that teachers, parents and students had to adapt to the new calendar that involved some students staying at home while others attended school.

This educational year all the students have reported together which is likely to pile more pressure on the already constrained infrastructure

With the anticipated challenges, The teachers Service Commission (TSC) today held a Forum to launch a report on the Preparedness of teachers for the schools re opening.

Speaking during the launch, Dr. Nthamburi the director for Quality Assurance at TSC said there is worry among the teachers especially on space because the structures in schools are few.

” Many Children will be coming in at the same time. And with few spaces available, teachers are worried,”Said Dr. Nthamburi.

Including the other fears that is among the teachers include;

An increase in the workload, teachers said more work will be in their hands and managing children and running school operations will be a tough work for them.

They also expressed fear in the implementation of the CBC. They said the implementation of the curriculum in the other classes will be tough.

Fees payment by the parents, early pregnancies, drug and substance abuse, insecurities and many more the fears that the survey revealed.

Speaking at the Forum, the PTA representative, Nicholas Maiyo assured teachers present that parents will be committed to pay the school fees as long as the teachers adhere to the government’s directive of lowering the fees.

” Some schools are charging some fees which are unnecessary, for example activity money in Primary schools and the government burned any social activities in school. As parents we promise to pay the fees in time,”said Maiyo.

Overall the report says the level of preparedness among the teachers is fairly adequate and needs to be strengthened.

The teachers Service Commission TSC today held a forum on the preparedness of teachers open today to start the 2021 education calendar.

The education calendar was disrupted last year after the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country and a directive given for closure of the schools.

This is the first time that schools will have all the classes reporting back during the pandemic.

The report recommended that there be an increase psychosocial support,increase access to water and soap, minimize the use of sanitisers,Sustain positive messages to teachers, training the teachers on the management of Covid-19 and Enhance contacts with health institutions and personnel regular check-ups .

Upto now,158,720, teachers have received the first dose of the vaccine, with another 89,611 fully vaccinated, this amounts to 44.4% of the teachers population. 73 teachers have been lost to the Virus.