By Michael Oriedo
Education minister Mutula Kilonzo’s proposal to let schoolgirls put on miniskirts has caused furore, with many accusing the God-fearing lawyer, who is always in suits, of seeking to perpetuate loose morals in schools.
Many parents cannot conjure up the image of their daughters exposing their legs courting the devil. What, however, strengthens opposition to Mutula’s proposal is that society often links women who wear short skirts with loose morals.
It is a view time and ‘civilisation’ have failed to erase, perhaps that is why most organisations, as the students who started the short skirts debate will soon realise, have guidelines on dress codes.
Therefore, instead of ‘polluting’ schoolgirl’s minds with mini-skirts as Mutula champions, PointBlank suggests the minister should consider allowing the students to put on trousers. PointBlank believes this is a better deal for the girls because trousers are trendy and boost confidence, which is why many women wear them. Second, trousers, unlike short skirts, will cover girls ensuring that they do not expose their legs and they will also protect them from harsh weather.
Eldoret Express leaves travellers unimpressed
Mr Francis Wang’ombe and his friend Patrick Shamala describe a journey they had on July 19 from Nairobi to Mumias hellish.
The two say they boarded an Eldoret Express bus from Nairobi at 11.30pm, hoping to reach Mumias, where they had been told the bus will terminate the journey, peacefully.
“The journey was smooth until we reached Kakamega at 7am the following day. The driver declined to proceed to Mumias. Our efforts to request him and the conductor to refund part of the fare so that we can board another vehicle fell on deaf ears,” they say.
The two recount they later sought assistance from Eldoret Express Kakamega office.
“We requested to be given back our receipts, which the conductor had taken, as proof of travel but a clerk asked for Sh100 from each of us as facilitation fee,” he claims.
Wang’ombe and Shamala say they reported the matter to police OB3/20/7/2012, but did not get any help.
“Left with little choice, we paid for our fare to Mumias,” they narrate as they request Eldoret Express bosses to rein in on their errant employees.
JAB’s selection jab floors A student
After his brother scored an A- of 80 points in last year’s KCSE, Beryl Nyangaga was very happy. She knew at last his brother would pursue his dream career – civil engineering.
This dream, Nyangaga now claims has faded courtesy of Joint Admission Board (JAB).
“My brother will not be admitted to university to study the course of his choice. The only explanation JAB gave us is that he missed his first choice — civil engineering with 0.4 points and consequently could not secure a place in his second and third choice courses because he did not list them as first choice,” she recounts. Nyangaga says she does not understand the whole affair. “My brother has now been forced to do a second revision where only a few courses, some of very low points, have been listed,” she observes.
Nyangaga, who feels her brother has been shortchanged, believes there are many students out there in similar predicament.
“The only option they have now is to go for parallel degree programme or join university with the courses they are given and opt to change while there, but this is not guaranteed,” she notes. Nyangaga observes with such outcomes, JAB is crushing dreams of many students. Her email is nyangagaberyl@yahoo.co.uk.
Where parents trust strangers
Each day he goes to work at about 6.45am, Eldoret resident Kisaka Wamoto says he sees children, some as young as three-year-olds, going to school on motorbikes.
“These children are always not accompanied by their parents. This makes me wonder, why should parents trust strangers that much with their children,” he says. He notes the practice risks lives of children, who many end up getting harmed. “If a university student can be kidnapped and killed, what of a three-year-old? It is prudent parents take charge of their children to avoid giving police hard time,” he advises.
DON’T YOU FORGET
Has Knec CEO solved student’s exam woes?
Ms Addah Adhiambo wrote to PointBlank on July 11 noting since she graduated from Mosoriot Teachers Training College (MTTC) four years ago, she does not know her results. Adhiambo, whose index number was 52105426 said her woes started when she went to collect her results from the college.“A computer sheet indicated that I had missed my PTE papers yet I sat for them. I complained and the college gave me a letter to present to Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) in Nairobi,” she said. Knec, she claimed, told her Continuous Assessment Tests marks were missing from their records. She then shuttled between Knec and MTTC trying to solve the anomaly in vain. Last month, Adhiambo said she was informed she failed four subjects hence she cannot get a certificate. Adhiambo asked Knec CEO Paul Wasanga to intervene.
