Faith-based school principals have been urged to slow down the academic pace and prioritise the welfare of teachers and learners, amid concerns over rising mental health challenges in Kenya’s education sector.
Prof. Okumu Bigambo, a lecturer at Moi University and chairperson of the Busia County Education Board, delivered the warning during two major conferences for faith-based school leaders this month.
On August 7, speaking to Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) principals at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi, Prof. Bigambo appealed to the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to “be human” in dealing with principals, many of whom he said were struggling with depression and uncertainty during the transition to the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
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A day earlier, in Nakuru, he addressed Friends (Quaker) school heads at Milele Resort, urging the institutions to “live up to their name” by fostering friendlier relations between teachers, parents, and learners.
He condemned “a culture of pretenders and robots” racing through coursework without regard for student well-being.
“If KICD designs a four-year syllabus, why should students be harassed through it in two or three years?” Prof. Bigambo asked, warning that such practices are contributing to what he called Kenya’s “wild” mental health crisis.
His remarks have sparked renewed calls from education stakeholders for a more humane, values-driven approach to schooling, one that aligns with the Christian principles many faith-based institutions claim to uphold.
By Godfrey Wamalwa
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