Friday, April 13, 2007

Can Kenyan Schools Do Without Caning?

'Save the rod and spoil the child'. That is the popular saying by parents who mete out corporal punishment to their errant children. But this also seems to be on the lips of scores of teachers who have defied the government directive that pupils and students should NOT be caned. In fact it is a criminal offence to cane a student in schools these days.

A teacher who I spoke to recently told me there was no way she was going to teach pupils especially those in the lower classes without using the cane as this was the only form of discipline they understood or better still, the most effective.

The same teacher who also has a school going daughter said she did not mind her being spanked once in a while when she exhibited naughty behavior and adds the government should never have outlawed caning in the first place

She goes further to justify corporal punishment by saying strikes have increased in recent years since caning was abolished and she is among the many teacher's countrywide who want corporal punishment restored.

Many lauded the government for banning 'the stick' as they were extreme cases where students were badly injured and admitted to hospital while in rare cases, they were beaten to death.

As a matter of fact, such cases have not stopped even with the government directive of banning caning and the ministry of education should have provided for an alternative discipline measure when it scrapped corporal punishment. But it did not.

Don’t get me wrong, this blogger does not support corporal punishment and I believe it is an outdated and archaic way of instilling discipline but the authorities concerned should come out with a clear cut alternative to discipline or caning will never stop in both public and private schools as majority of teachers do not know any other way.

How Kenyans can now easily start a lucrative Internet business from any remote part of Kenya for only Kshs 100/-

The surprising real reason why more and more Kenyans are having steamy extra-marital affairs

Woman Murders Her Best Friend To Steal Her Husband As Science Proves That It Is Deadly For Women To Have Casual Sex

Young Teenagers Still Getting Married Off To Grandpas In Kenya

Thousands of teenage girls are not only having babies every year but a large number of them are also getting married to men who are as old as their grandfathers, if not older.

This trend has been attributed to poverty as poor men sell off their daughters while culture and religion has a lot to do with it as Muslims do not consider education to be important and according to them, a thirteen year old girl is ready for marriage. This is ironic because the concept of a university is attributed top Islam.

This attitude amongst Kenyan Muslims is conformed by statistics where most married teenage girls are to be found in coast and north eastern province which are pre-dominantly Muslim. It is also in these areas that girl child education is almost non existent.

There are a number of non governmental organizations that have done a lot in ensuring the girl child remains in school like going to the extent of supplying sanitary towels to the female students who are known to stay at home when they have their monthly periods as they can’t afford the towels and don’t want to be in class when the blood flows.

A few months ago, health minister Charity Ngilu openly wept during a tour of coast province when she could not believe her eyes on seeing that majority of those seeking post natal services in health facilities were teenage mothers barely fifteen years old.

She spoke strongly over the matter and said the trend should be stopped at all costs as it was denying the teenagers much needed education that they required for their empowerment. Sadly these utterances are yet to be followed by any actions from the Ministry.

The government seemed to have played its part when it introduced free and compulsory primary education but ironically there are those who still feel it applies to boys only while it’s optional for girls.

What must be done is to overcome these outdated and archaic cultural beliefs that have also resulted in wanton abuse of the girl child not to mention the violence they are exposed to at a very young age as a result of abusive marriages.

This bloggers heart bleeds for the thousands of teenage girls who are forced into early marriages by their selfish parents and hope one day the girls will have a voice to say they want an education and would prefer to enjoy their childhood and not to be burdened by the complicated nature of marriages at their tender age.

How Kenyans can now easily start a lucrative Internet business from any remote part of Kenya for only Kshs 100/-

The surprising real reason why more and more Kenyans are having steamy extra-marital affairs

Woman Murders Her Best Friend To Steal Her Husband As Science Proves That It Is Deadly For Women To Have Casual Sex