Sudden reopening of schools favours the rich, says Shahbal

 

The abrupt reopening of schools will disadvantage children of the poor who are unprepared, Mombasa politician and businessman Suleiman Shahbal has said.

Shahbal said the sudden reopening of schools for learners in Grade 5, Standard 8 and Form 4 creates a situation where learners from rich families attending posh private schools get quality education. 

He said the Covid-19 pandemic has not only killed some parents but also the economic dreams of millions of Kenyans.

“There are parents who lost their jobs, couldn’t meet their rental obligation and had to migrate from towns and cities back to their rural homes with their families,” Shahbal said.

He took to social media to raise his concern.

Education CS George Magoha on Tuesday announced that Grade 4, Standard 8 and Form 4 learners will reopen school next Monday.

This gave parents a mere five-day notice.

However, the High Court on Wednesday ordered Magoha to convene a meeting with the Teachers Service Commission and other stakeholders starting Thursday to discuss schools reopening.

The ruling came after a parent, Joseph Aura, moved to court claiming the government had failed to put in place measures to address the indefinite closure of schools, which affected learners.

The parties are supposed to come up with a settlement on conditions set for reopening of schools.

The majority of parents have expressed concern about the abrupt reopening, saying most are unable to get the necessary funds to help their children report to school on Monday.

On Thursday, Shahbal said while it was understandable that government had to reopen schools albeit in a gradual process, expecting parents to organise so that their children can be in class in five days is almost impossible.

“My sympathy is to parents affected by Covid-19 migration,” he said.

He said majority of private academies were facing serious shortage of teachers and cash problems.

Many of their teachers, he noted, have either been called for interviews by various public schools so that they can be employed by TSC or were rendered jobless in March, and had to relocate to their rural homes due to tough economic life in towns.

“Many directors of these schools are totally broke. They can’t organise for the reopening and won’t be able to hire new teachers in five days’ time. For them to expect parents, who are equally broke, to rise school fees is expecting too much,” Shahbal said.

He called on the government to consider the economic situation of parents,saying Covid-19 started as a disease but has been more deadly on the economy.

“In as much as government duly considers the right of kids to be taught, it must also factor the economic well-being of teachers, school owners and parents,” Shahbal said.

“Education is a powerful weapon that can reduce the gap between the haves and have-nots. We must create a fair playing ground for all children.”