Now Mutula bans weekend classes

By Rawlings Otieno

Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo has sent a tough warning to principals of all schools to ban weekend classes.

The Minister said that the National Policy on tuition during Holiday and weekend remains fully in place and warned the private schools that should they flout the directive, they will be de-registered.

“As far as the National Policy is concerned, there is no tuition during holidays and weekends. I will not hesitate to de-register any private school forcing children to attend classes on weekends. Children must be allowed to rest,” said the tough talking Mutula.

He said that children had a right to rest from classes on weekends and during holidays adding that availability of education to all was a human right.

Speaking during the launch of children’s book published by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) at a Nairobi hotel on Monday, Mutula said that for a cohesive society, children must be taught equality and non-discrimination tendencies.

The Minister at the same time criticized the selection of the prefects in schools and called upon school heads to engage all the students and pupils in a democratic process where they are able to select their own leaders.

“All schools are encouraged to conduct prefects elections by fully involving students in the use of the guided democracy,” added Mutula.

Mutula emphasized that children and young people participation in democracy, leadership and governance was a right and not an option.

The Minister said that Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) would develop a curriculum to train principals the bill of rights enshrined in the constitution.

He said that equality and non-discrimination was articulated in Article 27 (4 and 5) of the Constitution, which prohibits the state or any other person from discriminating a person directly or indirectly on any ground including race, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, marital status, health status and social origin.

The article also prohibits discrimination based on religion, conscience, belief, culture, dress, language or birth.

However, when the Minister was asked to shed more light on the on-going teacher’s strike that has paralyzed learning in all public schools, he walked out refusing to comment on the issue.

This is the second week in a row that learning has not resumed in public schools across the country with the Teacher’s Unions vowing not to resume their duties unless their demands are met.

The book titled “Attack the Shidas, Akas Save Planet Earth’ educates children on issues of equality and non-discrimination for a cohesive society.

According to KHRC, 37 per cent of school children think it is best to keep friends from their own ethnic group and learn from and practice discrimination to please parents.

The Human rights commission also says that through a study on Knowledge Attitude and Practice on equality and non-discrimination shows that the discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, gender, age, disability and social status is not well understood by the children and their teachers.