Parents have been called upon to exercise heightened vigilance and provide firm guidance to their children as schools prepare to close for the April holidays.
The appeal was made during the official opening of the county-level primary and secondary school games at Kamusinga Girls High School, where education stakeholders expressed concern about learners’ conduct and safety at home.
Bungoma North Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) executive Secretary Issa Ndukuyu warned that unsupervised learners risk falling prey to negative influences, including moral decay. He urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children’s movements and behaviour throughout the holiday period.
Ndukuyu further encouraged parents to support their children’s participation in sports and other productive engagements, noting that such activities provide a vital platform for nurturing talent and promoting discipline among learners.
He also called on the government to expedite the release of capitation funds to sustain the free education programme, saying that adequate and timely funding is critical to enabling schools to run academic and co-curricular programmes, including sports, effectively.
Additionally, Ndukuyu urged school principals to empower teachers—particularly those handling sports—by facilitating capacity-building opportunities to enhance their skills and effectiveness in talent development.
Mt. Elgon KNUT Secretary Patrick Cheptum, on his part, challenged parents to embrace the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework, especially pathways in sports and the arts, which he said are instrumental in helping learners discover and develop their abilities.
READ ALSO: Nyamira parents tipped on how to manage children during school holidays
Cheptum also stressed the need for parents to instil discipline and positive values in their children during the holidays, emphasising that character development remains a shared responsibility between schools and families.
The event, marked by vibrant participation from schools across the county, showcased a rich display of talent and competition, reinforcing the growing significance of co-curricular activities in shaping holistic education in Kenya.
By Godfrey Wamalwa
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news.
