By Our Reporter
Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit has asked the Ministry to protect learners from harmful influence by being vigilant about the contents of comprehensive sexuality education being fronted by some education-based NGOs.
He said that the NGOs who attempt to implant ideas into teachers and learners that are offensive to African culture through sexuality education under the pretext of supporting education.
Ole Sapit made the remarks during a consultative meeting between Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu and the clergy from the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) in his office led by him and the KCCB Commission for Education & Religious Education Chairman Bishop Paul Kariuki.
The Archbishop said that some groups use otherwise well-meaning programmes to sneak into them ideas that are offensive culturally and inappropriate to the stage of development of the learners.
Mr. Machogu said that the government will scrutinize stakeholders whom it allows to undertake any activity in basic education institutions to protect teachers and learners from influences that violate the cultural norms and traditions the education system seeks to nurture in learners.
“If we allow anybody to access our schools, it will be a mess,” the CS noted.
At the same time, Mr. Machogu added that the Ministry will work with faith-based organizations to establish chaplaincy as well as guiding and counseling in schools to mitigate drug abuse and other evils that affect students in schools
The CS further thanked the organizations for the support towards public education through establishment of educational institutions which have benefited thousands of children across the country.
He said that the government had allocated Ksh 9.6 billion to learners in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) saying the money will provide appropriate infrastructure for learners, in addition to the support from development partners.
Mr. Machogu said the government will jointly with the World Bank, build 8,000 laboratories in JSS, saying the Ministry looks to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to fund some of the infrastructural needs in JSS.
Bishop Kariuki expressed the need for the Ministry to provide guidelines that will enable schools to set up school rules which recognize religious liberties of learners but within bounds.
He however said that the students should abide by the traditions that the identities of the schools they enroll in.
Present were the Principal Secretary for Basic Education, Dr. Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary for the State Department of University Education & Research, Dr. Beatrice Inyangala and the Principal Secretary for Vocational and Technical Training, Dr. Esther Muoria.
