‘Dead people do not sit for exams’, CS Magoha says over pressure to re-open schools

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has allayed fears that Kenyan candidates taking final exams in 2020 will be adversely affected by the new coronavirus.

Speaking on Monday during a routine coronavirus update by the Ministry of Health, CS Magoha asked parents to let their children enjoy their holiday, noting that only three weeks had elapsed since the closure of schools.

“The only time we have lost so far is three weeks, right now my children are enjoying their holiday until the end of the month…” the CS said.

CS Magoha noted that plans are underway to have the schools re-opened in May but concern was now in monitoring the situation to ensure safety of kids in schools.

At the same time, said the government would not bow to pressure from parents, adding that the safety of the children was paramount.

He also dismissed reports that the ministry was planning to postpone 2020’s KCSE and KCPE exams asking Kenyans to disregard the reports.

“Parents should relax because we haven’t reached a situation where we are saying we are going to postpone this or that,” he added.

During the same address, the CS told parents who were pressuring the government to re-open schools to remember that dead people do not sit for exams,

“We are not going to risk the lives of our children because dead people do not take exams…” he added.

The Kenyan  government ordered all schools to close down in early March to avert the spread of the new coronavirus.