By Amoto Dennis Ndiewo
As schools remain shut to avert the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, parents in Garissa are facing a hard time in controlling the movement of their children.
As much as the government directive is clear on mingling, many children especially boys are yet to heed to social distance rule.
A spot check by Education News reveals that most parents in Garissa town find it easy to contain girls than boys to which the task has become a tall order.
Habiba Aden, a resident in Garissa town noted that as much as it is homely to stay with girls of whatever age, the same cannot be said of boys.
“The boys can be at home studying but within a blink of an eye they are out and nowhere to be seen,’’ added Habiba.
The Education News spot check reveals that as the security forces are keen not to see boys in their school playgrounds, they have discovered many other soccer fields for instance earth-road-streets where they play soccer and mingle with traffic under the scorching sun.
The town’s backstreets provides other mini-playground for instance places like the space behind the former Al Ifran Muslim Institute in Ngamia road.
Strangely, Education News discovered that some parents or caregivers prefer their children being away in the fields than bothering them at home.
“While they are away, tranquility reigns in the house but once they are back, another story appears,’’ said Fatuma Dahir, a mother of three boys and a girl in Ngamia Road.
Speaking to Education News, Harira Ali Abdile said that even with the presence of awareness about dangers of the Covid-19, many parents are not aware of the online lessons that are offered in Radio and Televisions.
Unlike the secular students who have home tuition and electronic media lessons, the Madrassa or Duksi Islamic Schools do not have such avenues.
The Education News spot check in Garissa further reveals that home tuition is now a thriving business. The home tuition is solely done by none-local teachers from private schools which stand no chance of being paid.
Meanwhile, as the number of the Covid-19 cases in the county surges, local radio stations and other electronic media outlets have created massive awareness.
Education News noted that the local markets which are usually congested to the brim have limited number of customers.
