Schools could in the next three weeks reopen for in-person teaching for three other classes in primary and secondary institutions.
The Star has learnt that education stakeholders seem to have reached an agreement to reopen schools for the second phase.
In the proposal, in-person learning for Grade 3, Standard 7 and Form 3 learners will resume. The three classes account for about three million learners. The proposal is to be presented to the President.
If adopted, it will mean those in Grade 1-2, Standard 5-6, and Form 1-2 and pre-primary will remain at home.
A school of thought is of the idea that any further reopening is staggered twice in a period of just under a month.
CS George Magoha said on Monday the ministry will on Wednesday engage the President over a plan to fully reopen schools.
With four weeks gone by since the first reopening, Nicholas Gathemia who represents the Kenya Primary School Heads Association, said failing to reopen soon enough would create a headache for teachers.
“It is going to be a headache for teachers to manage two parallel calendars.
Education stakeholders are also concerned about inequity as many learners are still at home, while others are in school.
Nicholas Maiyo, the Kenya Parents Association chairman, said many parents have a difficult time explaining to Grade 4 pupils why they have to go to school while their siblings in upper classes are still at home.
“Latest December we should have all learners back in school… we have observed and realised that children at school are more disciplined than while at home,” he told the Star on the phone.
Maiyo said since no vaccine is available, schools will borrow from what other countries have done. He said students should be restricted to the use of reusable masks. Maiyo said this is because learners may be tempted to recycle disposable masks, thus exposing them to infection.
The revised school calendar issued by the ministry showed that the second term, which started on October 12, would end on December 23, allowing learners to break for only one week.
Learners will report back to school on January 5 for another 11 weeks.
Standard 8 candidates will sit the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam between March 22 and March 24. Those in Form 4 will sit their exams between March 25 and April 16.