BY CHRISTOPHER ACWENDA
Schools finally closed and the April holidays are here with us after numerous interruptions of the Kenyan educational calendar. Cases of arsonists and unruly students torching dormitories were reported. This has left a trail of destruction and is a matter of national concern to all the stakeholders.
Nonetheless, the thorny issue of holiday tuition is still hovering around. Since the country has been without a minister to enforce the directive, there are controversies and speculations surrounding the issue.
However, the record has been set straight — whoever dares conduct the exercise will be liable to imprisonment.
The former Education Minister, Mutula Kilonzo slapped a countrywide ban on the infamous holiday tuition that has been there for decades. Consequently, there are many kids mostly from public schools, moving around in groups causing noise and destruction in residential areas.
Holiday tuition has been used as a dumping ground for parents who see their children as a nuisance whenever schools close for the children to enjoy a well-deserved break.
Times have changed a great deal and any Information is readily available at the touch of a button thanks to The Google Think Tanks who think on everybody’s behalf.
This April could turn out to be a torturous holiday break since a good number of residential areas are full of students from all corners of the country who have nowhere to go and have a lot of idle energy to spend on nonproductive activities like indulging in drug and substance abuse, sexual escapades and other crime related activities.
Discipline has been compromised as majority of the kids are no longer caned at home or school, dialogue is not bearing much results.
Topics in sexuality in the African culture is still a taboo forcing the youth to learn through experience, which in turn mostly harms them or even end up picking deviant sexual behaviors such as lesbianism and homosexuality.
School holidays also come with a myriad of expenses including electricity bills that are bound to go up and tokens run out so fast as a result of prolonged hours of watching TV and playing music.
Besides, there are extra mouths to feed not to mention the friends who come visiting and dine when parents are away busy building the nation.
It should not be a shock to find parents wishing the schools could reopen since they are already tired of having their children around.
Gone are the days when aunties, uncles and grandparents would be delegated duties for teaching the youth the values of life since villages are a no go zone for the youth owing to lack of basic amenities such as tap water and other urban comforts.
