On Tuesday, Kenya declared that its school year is lost due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The country’s primary and secondary schools will reopen in January 2020. The school year in Kenya usually runs from January to November, when it climaxes with end-of-term exams.
However, Education Minister George Magoha said in a statement that Covid-19 infections are expected to only flatten by December.
“As a result, primary and secondary school examinations will not be held and the 2020 school calendar year will be considered lost due to Covid-19 restrictions”, he said.
Kenya’s schools have been closed since 15 March to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The statement read that the Kenyan government had initially planned to reopen their schools in September for those in their final years of primary and secondary school, allowing them to take their exams, however, the rising infection rate resulted in the deviation of this plan.
The re-opening of universities will take place on a “case-by-case” basis, and the institutions have been encouraged to consider a phased re-opening and to continue with online classes and graduation ceremonies.
