As I sit to weave these words, I am cognizant of the fact that entertainment is an emotive matter in most secondary schools. Scrapping it from the school routine can foment trouble and fan flames of fire. Albeit, we cannot abet it that way because it is generally permissible. In the distant past, St. Francis of Assisi said in substance, “Bad is bad even if everyone is doing it, and good is good even if no one is doing it.”
Right at the onset of this treatise, I must admit that most students always look forward to attend entertainment because it is rife with life and razzmatazz. Then, it is their special form of fun. Through it, they steam off. Conversely, their understanding of entertainment looks limited. Some erroneously think: Entertainment is the blatant exposure to violent movies, nasty music and dirty dancing styles.
No wonder, I am contending with confidence: Our schools can switch from entertainment to edutainment. Ideally, edutainment blends entertainment with education. Being a sensitive matter as I have pointed it out at the front-end, it means that the switch should not be abrupt, but gradual. The lift should not be a seismic shift. The change should be an evolution, not a revolution. Being that children are pliant people with impressionable minds, through good guidance and perfect persuasion, we can make and mould them to what we want them to be.
As I put pen on paper, my sixth sense whispers to me. That cheerful pessimist may be swift like wisps of wind: to treat the opinion as a recipe for chaos in schools. I state it here because I spoke about it in a certain conference. Then, some in-attendance who were of the contrary opinion did not nod the head. In their stance, they rubbished my proposition without giving it a brilliant thought.
In line with penman opinions, first I recommend that department of boarding in secondary schools should take this matter seriously. Somehow, in some schools, teachers in charge are oblivious of the kind of items, in most cases, music and movies served as entertainment. Yet, in actual sense, they should vet what prefects of entertainment present. If this fails to happen, things will go south.
Secondly, we can make students understand that live performances of KCSE set books can be sources of edutainment — entertainment that is educative. The onus is on the department of language to scout for a theatre group that can educate and leave learners in stitches through peerless performance on stage. In this case, students will get entertainment as they also get educated on any examinable text. Next, as thespians express themselves in excellent English and Kiswahili, students will learn language and literature. Then, who knows? That can possibly be a form of job shadowing: to students who are dreaming to become thespians in future.
Thirdly, for the sake of students who have a predilection for movies, didactic documentaries can be forms of entertainment that are educative. Personally, as an English enthusiast, I have learnt a lot from deep documentaries of Trever Macdonald of the Independent Television News (ITN). For instance, as that Trinidadian-British journalist Trevor Macdonald airs the documentary Cyprus: the Secret Mediterranean — you get entertainment, as your creative and curious side is indeed edified and educated. Meaning, good documentaries are sources of history, fun and exposure.
Closer here, documentary series dubbed Daring Abroad by Alex Chamwada can open the minds of learners to infinite spectra of opportunities and kaleidoscopic forms of possibilities. We should never forget that the mind works like an umbrella: It works well it is open.
In addition, what if we train our learners to find fun in watching phenomenal speeches delivered by great orators who left indelible footprints on sands of time. Think of the last speech by Martin Luther King titled I Have Been to the Mountain Top. Learners listening to it might not laugh as they learn. Albeit, the speech is a source of good mood because it is soul-stimulating. It uplifts the spirit. It thrills the soul — mind, will and emotions. Such ilk of powerful speeches can plant important ideals and ideas in them.
Consequently, through creativity, schools can focus on sources of edutainments such as inter-class talk shows, debating duels and banters. Occasionally, it will be wise to stage talent shows that can unearth talents such as riveting rendition of poetry, acting, dancing, singing, et cetera.
In the whole scheme of things, the goal should be on exploration of forms of entertainment that bring out the true meaning of recreation — creating oneself again.
The conclusion of the matter is that learners should never seek entertainment in vulgarity. Schools being centres of character development, holistic formation and value addition: our noble teachers should remain vigilant and alert. Things that learners listen to and watch will shape their intelligence, attitude (mindset and belief system) plus their worldviews and perspectives about life. No wonder, teachers should be concerned about what their disciples imbibe. Maybe, this will be the best way to remain conscious to the GIGO Principle: Garbage in, garbage out. That computer principle postulate that input equals output. Good begets good. Likewise, bad begets bad.
By Victor Ochieng’
The writer is an editor, author and peripatetic public speaker.
vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
