New strategy to inculcate positive values in learners

The recently unveiled Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) has been designed to transform every Kenyan child into a moral and ethical citizen, Rift Valley Regional Director of Education (RDE) John Lekakeny Ololtuaa has said.
Ololtuaa noted that integration of the core values of respect, tolerance, equality and peace into the curriculum at all levels of education, including early learning and teacher training was designed to equip learners with positive values.
“Any educational system that focuses on examinations is a major deterrent to the development of a culture of values and ethics in and through schools. Absence of values and ethical practices yields acts of corruption, criminality and terrorism in the wider society.
Our society is grappling with drug abuse and alcoholism, violence and impunity, teenage pregnancies and early marriages. Values are best learnt through examples. We need adults and, especially teachers and parents to demonstrate values in their day-to-day activities. The evident moral decadence in our country is mainly due to lack of role models,” said Ololtuaa.
Speaking when he received officials of Metro World Child, a faith-based humanitarian organization in Nakuru yesterday, the RDE noted that enhanced emphasis on academic performance had resulted into an imbalance in the growth of some of the country’s youth who were increasingly displaying undesirable behavior.
“After rolling out the CBC we have intensified parental education and community sensitization through partnership with civil society and faith-based organizations on Value-based Education with an emphasis on the core values.
“Values are best inculcated when they are modeled and reinforced positively, the use of corporal punishment and other degrading and humiliating punishments to correct students’ moral behaviour and improve performance leads to the valuing of violence and embracing it as a problem solving mechanism,” stated Ololtuaa.
Founded in 1980 Metro World Child has been donating uniform, food and learning materials to underprivileged pupils in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In Africa it is currently engaged in charity work in South Sudan, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
Ololtuaa hailed the organization for sponsoring and putting 1,300 pupils from 92 public primary schools within Nakuru County under school feeding program. He observed that the faith based entity had also constructed sanitary facilities and kitchens in numerous schools.
“The Ministry of Education is willing to work with all stakeholders in achieving its objectives of free and quality education for all Kenyan children. We recognize this organization’s contribution to schools especially provision of water storage tanks and school uniforms.
He said that the government was committed to retaining pupils and students from poor backgrounds in schools through a number of strategies including school feeding programs in Arid and Semi-Arid areas, waiver of Kenya Certificate of Primary and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination fees and National Hospital Insurance Fund cover for secondary school students.
Metro World Child Executive Director Reverend Bill Johnson appealed to authorities to fast track clearance of containers imported by the organization bearing clothing material and foodstuffs destined for schools in Nakuru which are being held at the port of Mombasa.
He said a bulk of the donations came from well-wishers’ in North Korea, Japan and the United States of America.
Reverend Johnson noted that every child had a right to dignity, equality and access to education regardless of their social standing.
He revealed that Metro World Child was sponsoring over 220,000 children in primary schools within Africa.
By Anne Mwale/Dennis Rasto