By Enock Okong’o
Parents from Kisii and Nyamira counties have asked the government to shelve the banning of primary boarding schools.
Speaking to Education News, they argued that if boarding schools are removed, it will mean they have to stay at home more and in turn reducing the time they would use to make a living.
“We have other younger children who need food. We have to work hard to put it on the table,” said John Onsare, a parent.
He added that banning boarding schools will kill the spirit of national integration that is well propagated at all education institutions where they mix freely with students from other ethnicities.
Mama Alice Nyaboke concurred with Onsare adding that due to the aggressive nature of teenagers, their stay at home might cause friction and stress in families.
“Most of our secondary school learners are teenagers who are inquisitive because of their age. Their stay at home will lead to being at loggerheads with their parents,” she observed.
She said that boarding schools increase the contact hours between students and teachers and if banned, education standards will depreciate.
The parents expressed fears that their children being in day schools will increase their chances of abusing drugs and engaging in other vices.
Thus they asked the government to continue with the traditional running of both day and boarding schools and promised to strengthen guidance of their children when they go home for holidays.
Elsewhere in Nyamira County, the church has promised to assist parents to guide their children in spending the long holiday well.
Speaking to Education News in Nyamira town, Pr. Franklin Gesare of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church said that children are the future leaders of this country and underscored the need for their right upbringing.
He revealed that his organization has launched youth-friendly programmes that will keep them busy throughout the December vacation.
The Pastor named Sironga and Gesiaga Secondary Schools as centres where they will have youth conferences at specified dates to arm the youth with life skills.
“We shall infuse spiritual and life skills lessons with anti-FGM lessons, because it has become a plague in this region,” he said.
