The National Association of Christian Chaplains (NACC) is calling for collaboration between religious organizations and the government in the cultivation of ethical values in society.
NACC Secretary Rev. John Gatu said they are cognizant of many vices that have negatively impacted the growth of the society such as greed, corruption, violence, and the general decay of individual and societal morals.
“The issue of morality has sometimes not been taken seriously in terms of mainstreaming it as part of the school curriculum. Partnership between the church, government, and institutions should come up with structures that can inculcate morals,” said Rev. Gatu.
The chaplains converged in Mombasa for the 14th Annual National Chaplaincy Conference under the theme: ‘The role of spirituality in building a healthy society’. Most of the chaplains are serving in institutions of learning.
Gatu said Chaplains play a pivotal role in the education sector, especially in the cultivation of values but are perturbed with the current trend of decadence.
He called for concerted efforts to combat the menace of alcoholism, and drug and substance use that are slowly permeating schools.
“We encourage people to talk about values, we are increasingly seeing the decay of moral values in society. The things we are seeing in the society are worrying,” said Rev. Gatu.
He urged legislators to pass laws that will uphold societal norms and values against sexualization through advertisement and online sexual exploitation.
The chaplains want more resources allocated to psychosocial support in society and schools as a result of a surge in cases of mental health.
“There is a need to be more deliberate in resourcing and availing psychosocial and spiritual support programs. Recruitment of chaplains and counsellors to learning institutions should be enhanced,” said Rev. Gatu.
The chaplains expressed their satisfaction with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) for inculcating values and making learners to be critical thinkers.
“CBC is keen to stir the potential of our young people and maximize their talents, with proper implementation, the system can take our education sector to greater heights,” said Rev. Gatu, adding that the inclusion of chaplaincy programs will enhance collaboration, self-efficacy, and problem-solving.
NACC also commended the Ministry of Education for developing draft policy guidelines to institutionalize chaplaincy in basic learning institutions. They have called for a speedy conclusion of the guidelines.
By Sadik Hassan
