Advertise

Advertise

Vihiga school heads decry poor staffing, desk shortages

 

Head teachers in Vihiga county have said congested classrooms pose the biggest risk for learners contracting the coronavirus as schools reopened Monday.

Kenya Primary School Heads Association Vihiga chair Josphat Otiende said lack of desks and understaffing were to blame for the congestion in classes.

Head teachers said they did not have sufficient numbers of teachers to be able to split up classes to ensure social distancing.

They said teaching under trees was an alternative, but lack of desks and portable boards was an impediment.  

Ebusakami Primary School head teacher Joyce Ainda said she has only 19 teachers to attend to 1,021 pupils.

“Out of these 19 teachers two are on maternity leave and another two are on sick leave so splitting the classes means a majority won’t be taught,” she said.

Ainda said she requires at least six extra teachers to split large classes to achieve social distancing.

In many schools the Star visited, handwashing points had been set up but a water problem persisted. Most of the schools had either to buy water or send pupils to nearby streams to get it.

Momboha Primary teacher Tom Andoli told the Star they had an inadequate number of desks.

Andoli said the ministry should give schools cash to buy more desks to deal with the congestion in classes.

He said pupils who turned up without face masks were blocked from accessing school premises.

Priscah Munai an ECD teacher helps a PP1 child to put on a face mask.
Vihiga Priscah Munai an ECD teacher helps a PP1 child to put on a face mask.
Image: Martin Ombima

Andoli said most learners were reluctant to put on face masks whenever they were on their own. 

“Although most learners had masks, most of them kept them in their pockets and only wore them whenever a teacher was around,” he said.

“Others were seen interacting with their school mates as their masks hung on the chins,” he added.

County director of education Hellen Nyang’au said she could not give any new directives. She will only implement policies fronted by Education CS George Magoha, she said.

No comments

Translate