Schools in Kenya started having students admission after a seven-month break due to the pandemic on Monday. The closure of schools in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted learning for over 17 million students, according to UNICEF. At many schools in Nairobi’s Kibera shantytown, there were mandatory temperature checks, hand washing and the wearing of face masks. However, parents have been able to send their children to school due to the financial crisis. Hundreds of people across the country have lost their jobs because of the pandemic.
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Kenya’s drop-out rate for children at the primary level was estimated at 21 per cent before the COVID-19 outbreak. UNICEF has warned a long exposure could make the situation worse as the closure of learning centres exposes adolescent girls to a higher risk of sexual abuse, HIV and teenage pregnancy. The reopening of schools in Kenya comes amid reports of a decline in the number of COVID-19 infections.
Inputs from Africa news