LETTERS: Hard choices as schools await reopening

The Basic Education Act No.14 of 2013 states that every child has a right to free and compulsory basic education. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has come along with a distinct problem requiring unique solutions and political support within the education sector in Kenya.

Some of the key problems seen with Covid-19 are related to the fear element. There is fear of transmission amongst students, workers, and teachers in case the education sector reverts to its traditional mode of operation. The behaviour of Covid-19 is unknown. It may behave differently at different times, which may lead to new infections in schools.

All emerging evidence in Kenya suggests community transmissions fueled by porous borders with neighbouring countries that do not necessarily follow same containment approaches to the same level of seriousness.

Reopening may trigger further transmissions as some schools are being used as isolation centres and unless they are thoroughly disinfected this may be a cause for concern. Given past experience financing the education sector and public schools in particular and now made worse by the Covid-19; availability of funds to prepare the schools will be a definite challenge.

Hence, most schools might not have enough resources to ensure adequate and standard preventive measures in place including disinfectants, soap, masks, sanitizers, social distancing in fields, dormitories, dining rooms, classrooms, laboratories and additional support staff needs. The fact that the Kenyan school system is based on boarding and day schooling is a further complication. This will make it hard to implement a system of managing students, teachers and workers for those who stay out of school with their families and who may be a potential link to community based transmission patterns.

Equally complicated is the boarding system, typically involving limited spaces and congestion. Lower primary children, who cannot social distance, wash hands regularly, use masks throughout, sanitise etc. unless closely supervised poses a great challenge. The options of wearing masks the whole day in school by students, teachers, and other support staff is uncomfortable and based on the emerging evidence that these cut oxygen supply to the lungs and brain; might negatively impact academic productivity.

Students, teachers and school workers living with disability will need more sophisticated care during this period. Other challenges will be within school transport systems as most day students rely on mass transport systems including public transportation (buses, matatus, motorcycles, bicycles). The virus is already affecting many families in various ways. The manifestation of these might show among students including stigma and discrimination of the affected children.

It is therefore a real challenge how the school organisation and system will support the students and their families, consistently counseling teachers, workers and students who are directly or indirectly affected by the virus.

Potential solutions are possible even with the challenges posed by Covid-19. Online/virtual learning, through radio, television are obvious solutions for ensuring continuity of the learning programmes for children.

However, the operationalisation of these options come with their own constraints including opening up the huge disparities and inequities that all along have been part of Kenyan society.

Children from well off families are likely to benefit from these options while the less disadvantaged will be locked out and further widening the disparity gap in the future.

The selectively opening of schools focusing on the examination classes –standard 8 and Form 4 is an appealing option as it might not magnify the disparity gaps in society. However schools will need to ensure all containment measures are ensured. Still schools in resource constrained contexts might not afford keeping this measures in place to keep the students safe. With selective opening of the candidate classes, the teaching of lower primary in the morning and upper primary could happen in shifts and reduce congestion in schools.

Selective opening of schools or full return to school schedule will require recruitment of more workers to continuously clean/ sanitise the institutions in use.

Whichever, the options taken, there will be need to make investments in providing personal protective equipment (PPE) for students, teachers, administrative staff, subordinate staff, support staff and security personnel.

Beatrice Monyenche Motari, PhD candidate, University of Nairobi.