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Kenya: 8-4-4 likened to abuse
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 08 July 2007 00:31
Mr. Samuel Angwenyi, of Rierira Diocese of Kenya Primary School, told the the Commission of Inquiry into the Education System, sitting in Central Kisii District, that as early as nursery school, a pupil was exposed to "home work, holiday tuition and excess pressure from parents, teachers and the community". As a result, students developed anti-social tendencies to "release steam".
The increased dropout rate and immoral behaviour such as prostitution, drug abuse and other stress related disorders are an offshoot of this system, Mr. Angwenyi said. Besides, the 8-4-4 system had become highly commercialised, placing a heavy financial burden on the parents and the community.
He recommended the reinstatement of the 7-4-2-3 education system with one-year pre-unit. Father Joseph Obanyi of St Charles Lwanga Cathedral said the duplication of courses in universities resulted in mass production of graduates who were unemployable.
The Catholic priest recommended that universities resort to their initial objectives. For instance, Egerton and Kenyatta universities should be developed as centres of excellence in agriculture and
The Ford-Kenya district branch secretary, Mr. Charles Ayieni, said the bursary system had been abused. He said the bursaries should be properly administered, managed and supervised if they were to assist the needy as originally intended.
Sex education should not be introduced in the school curriculum as it will encourage immoral behaviour among the youth, the commission was told. Members of public recommended to the commission that sex education should be the responsibility of parents as its introduction in schools will be detrimental to the youth.
The majority of the presenters recommended that 8-4-4 be scrapped with immediate effect and religious education be compulsory.
