Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiangi has urged parents to closely guide their children to ensure they grow up to upright responsible citizens
Dr. Matiangi said that with rapid modernization and technological advancements, children faced a lot of challenges which calls for more parental guidance.
Speaking Monday during the groundbreaking ceremony of a Library for Research and innovation at Ogande Girls School in Homa Bay County, the CS lamented that surveys had established that parental guidance was alarmingly low among families across the country.
“Parents don’t spend time with their children anymore. God has blessed us with wonderful children and our responsibility is to pay attention to them,” the CS advised.
Matiangi observed that parents have developed a tendency of leaving everything to the teachers: “We are not going to succeed if we don’t pay attention and talk to our children. We are the ones to nurture them, not teachers,” he added.
The CS expressed concern that over 7,000 school girls in Homa Bay county got pregnant over the past nine months. “This has happened under our noses because as parents we have abdicated our responsibilities,” he emphasized.
Matiangi directed Chiefs across the country to ensure that the affected girls were readmitted in schools.
Education CS George Magoha who was also present said all the children must report back to school on 4th January 2021 stressing that no girl should remain home due to pregnancy.
“Pregnancy is not a disease, all children must go back to school to continue with their learning,” he directed.
He also warned head teachers against sending students home over schools fees saying that they should first enquire on the economic background of each student before doing so.
“There are students whose parents have been retrenched from their jobs due to Covid-19 hence the teachers should know the situation of each student,” he said.
By Davis Langat/Naomi Wadende
