Calls to fight social ills in education sector

Kenya: Homosexuality, lesbianism, drug abuse and radicalisation have become rampant in schools, a senior government official has said.

Education Principal Secretary Bellio Kipsang said these anti-social ills are real and taking place in the institutions of learning, adding time was ripe for the country to confront them head on.

Dr Kipsang said these vices were greatly affecting education and called for conserted efforts among various stakeholders in the sector to slay them.

“Let us not continue to bury our heads in the sand anymore. These ills are here with us and are rampant in some of our learning institutions, mostly the secondary schools. We must as a country seek ways on how we will end the vices,” Kipsang said.

He called on students to concentrate on their education and shun earthly pleasures so as to lay strong foundations for their lives.

The Principal Secretary made the remarks during the celebrations to mark Catholic Education Day at Mary Hill Girls School in Thika at the weekend.

Kipsang urged parents to rise to the occasion and raise their children in moral and religious ways in order to make them become responsible members of the society.

The head of the Catholic Church in Kenya, John Cardinal Njue, implored students to avoid engaging in evil deeds, telling them their bodies were the temples of God.

Embrace diversity

Njue called on them to follow on the teachings of Jesus Christ, which he said clearly stipulates and teaches everyone on the acceptable way of life.

“I urge you to embrace diversity amongst yourselves in your schools by avoiding tribalism since it has no benefits,”Njue said.

He called on parents and teachers to diligently discharge their duties of bringing up the young minds so as to enhance on their molding and formation.

Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a told the students the era of banking on the inheritance from parents was long gone and urged them to put efforts in their studies to guarantee a good future.

“The era where we used to bank on inheriting property from our parents is long gone since there is no more to leave. Put a lot of efforts in your studies in order for you to become the masters of your own destiny,” Ng’ang’a said.