Devolving Education; A big no

We all love Kenya and we would rather do whatever we can to save her rather than see her suffer. Last week, a well-known politician suggested that we should have our education devolved. Now the next question is how would this work? If taxes are still paid to the national government does it mean we stop and start funding our schools? Look at what happened when education became free, it became a disaster. How can you mention devolvment when pupils are still sitting on the floor, walking for miles to get to school, have no laptops and their teachers are always going on strike? Girls are still lacking sanitary towels and boys are still fishing and herding cattle to get fees. Let us not forget the latest is public schools having their playgrounds being grabbed. Remember how one MP led in stoning land grabbers? Yes he too was passionate; you cannot take away our children’s right to play after taking away their right to learn well.

Kenyan school children demonstrating against land grabbing of their playground   Photo/dailymail.co.uk/

Do you know what Kenyan children go through? First of all they have to wake up very early in case they are late and the teacher on duty decides to deal with them ‘’ perpendicularly’’. They carry a couple of kilos on their back to and fro. If that is not enough they are so many in class that they are not given homework everyday simply because which teacher is able to mark fifty books and mark the corrections and get enough time to teach going around class to check on every pupil? Aren’t they humans?

No one who is high up should comment on education unless their children’s uniform is the same they wore two years ago, if they eat ‘’githeri’’ (maize and beans cooked together) every day for lunch which they must pay for and collect firewood so that it is cooked. But the best thing is that someone else sees a different angle, they see hope in these children who are like diamonds refined in fire ready to illuminate our nation. These are the likes of Equity Bank and Master Card foundation. Education does not need devolving, it needs involving.