Students selected for under-18 event must have time to study

Now that the Kenya squad for the World Under 18 athletics championship has been picked and some of the 54 participants have reported to residential training camp, the focus will be how best to produce a team of winners. Some schools have already released students who are in this team, but others have held back, no doubt grappling with how to release these minors when they have pending academic assignments.

Often the welfare of such students tends to get overlooked during the euphoria that surrounds their selection to the Kenya team. This should not be the case. Every effort must be made to ensure that their extra-curricular pursuits do not work against their academic interests. Many schools are caught in a moral dilemma over whether to release students to join residential training camp or keep them in school to fulfil their academic obligations.