Masinde Muliro to resume lectures as CS Magoha extends holiday for learners

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, MMUST, has announced plans to offers lectures to all students in May, 2020. This is in a bid to ensure that their academic calendar is not affected much by the current Covid-19 pandemic that has seen a total shutdown of all learning institutions. MMUST just like other learning institutions in Kenya was shutdown in March, 2020, following a directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta. The closure was meant to curb further spread of the deadly Corona vijrus.

“Online lectures will resume on 4th May 2020. Students are advised to liaise with their respective schools and and departments for more information concerning online lectures,” says the Acting Academic Affairs Registrar (Prof. Thomas sakwa); In a memo to all students dated April 23, 2020.

According to Prof. Sakwa, the students will then be subjected to examinations once the semester duration is covered. “you are further reminded that only bonafide students shall be admissible for end of semester examination,” he adds.

The university joins others that are offering lectures online.

But, this move has elicited mixed reactions from the students. Whereas some are for this idea others are all arms up against online lectures saying it will disadvantage those from poor backgrounds.

“You have never been serious. How do you expect those students from poor backgrounds who sum up to be more than 50% of the students body to access e-learning yet they can’t even access smartphones,or afford the cost at their cybers not to talk of poor network at their homes,” writes one Dan Miguna; in response to the circular.

CS Magoha hints on possible schools’ opening date

It is not only universities that are offering Electronic learning. The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum development (KICD) is offering E-learning education services to learners in both primary and secondary schools via various online platforms. To address gaps in access to the electronic gadgets and platforms the ministry is mulling provision of mobile phones to learners in disadvantaged setups.

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Elsewhere, the government has reiterated its resolve to ensure this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, KCSE, and Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, KCPE, examinations will not be affected. The assurance has been given by both president Uhuru Kenyatta and Education CS Prof. George Magoha.

Education CS George Magoha on sunday evening announced the postponement of schools opening by a month, and maintained that no decision has been made yet to reschedule national examinations.

Schools were scheduled to start their second term on May 4th, 2020 but learners will now stay at home for a further four weeks as the Government battles to contain the spread of Covid-19. This means the new opening date would be June 4, 2020; subject to the status of containment of the Corona virus pandemic.

After the extended one month, learners would’ve lost a total of seven weeks of the school calendar. From April 9th, 2020 to May 3rd, 2020, learners were expected to be on their April holidays meaning that the three weeks should not be counted as learning days lost.

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