Final-year students to come first when varsities reopen

Final year, PhD and Masters students will be the first to resume studies, as universities that have satisfactorily achieved the laid-down Covid-19 health protocols start reopening from the end of July.

Speaking while inspecting the preparations at Tharaka University College and Chuka University, Principal Secretary, State Department for University Education and Research, Mr Simon Nabukwesi said only institutions that meet the requirements will be allowed to reopen.

He said officers from the Education and Health ministries will physically inspect every university to ensure that they don’t expose learners and the other populations to the coronavirus.

Universities are expected to have adequate supplies of face masks, sanitisers, and running water, as well as enough facilities to ensure social distancing.

Mr Nabukwesi said universities are also required to submit a schedule for how learners will return in phases, should they be allowed to reopen.

He advised that the final year students be allowed to resume first, to allow them time to prepare for examinations to avoid interfering with their final academic year.

He said when schools closed in mid-March, final year students had about two weeks to go before sitting for the exams.

He added that, thereafter, postgraduate students should be allowed back, and then the rest. .

“Once the finalist students are done and gone, they will create space for those reporting in September,” he said.

The PS challenged universities to embrace e-learning, noting that in some countries learning was not interrupted because when the pandemic struck and schools closed, they switched to online learning.

But he noted that, while many Kenyan universities tried to teach using the digital platforms, they could not reach all the students. Besides, it was almost impossible for courses like sciences, which involve a lot of practicals.

Chuka University Vice-Chancellor Erastus Njoka and Tharaka University College Principal Kinyua Muriungi said their institutions are doing their best to meet the requirements for the reopening.

Prof Njoka said the universities are producing alcohol-based sanitsers and liquid hand washing soap for use by the students and even the neighbouring community.

He said they have also procured thermo-guns to monitor the temperatures of university students and staff, as well as visitors.

Prof Muriungi said the expansion of the university healthcare unit, which has 10 Covid-19 isolation beds, will be completed in two weeks’ time.

He noted that the institution has procured enough face masks for the entire university population.

“With the available house facilities, we can be able to keep the required social distance,” said Prof Njoka.

The PS helped in the distribution of sanitisers, hand washing soap, face masks, and water tanks to the residents of Gatunga, Marimanti and Chuka towns provided by the two universities through their corporate social responsibility programme.