Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion has backed the move by the Teachers Service Commission to direct teachers to report to their respective schools in preparations for eventual reopening.
Mr. Sossion stated that teachers need to do a lot of things before reopening of schools. Among them include preparing to offer psychosocial support to all children to enable them to get favourable psychological status supportive for learning.
The nominated legislature also called on schools to accept all the learners back including the teenage girls who fell pregnant during the time of closures occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“All girls and boys must come back to school regardless of the challenges and situations they have been.
“If a girl is pregnant, bring them back to school. We shall support them and even if it means giving the nutrition support until they deliver,” he stated.
Gender Desk
The secretary general further urged Ministry of Education and Teachers Service Commission to work jointly so as to establish gender desk in each and every school so as to cushion both teachers and students against gender based violence.
He said: “We must establish a gender desk and the desk in every school must be recognised and it must have a strong committee to be able to deal with these issues on a continuous basis so that we don’t make news with statements. Statements mean nothing if it does not translate to action.”
Reporting to school
Sossion’s sentiment comes barely a day after the TSC boss Nancy Macharia said that teachers were ready to recover the lost time during closure and help the sector get back to the normal calendar.
She said: “We wish to assure the country that our teachers are totally prepared and ready to help our children recover the lost time and save the academic year was that at risk of being lost. We know our teachers will do this and we ask all of you to support them.”
Dr. Nancy directed that all primary and secondary school tutors to report to school by Monday 28th September, 2020.
Starting next week, teachers will be required to develop innovative strategies and mechanisms for curriculum implementation while upholding the Ministry of Health Guidelines and protocols for containment of the spread of COVID–19 including social distancing, regular handwashing, use of sanitizer and wearing of face masks.