Kenya is magnificent; ascending from fetching beaches to the imposing
majesty of Batian. Then on to the west through the awesome wonder of the Rift
Valley, to the vast lake plains to the heightening Elgon of Trans-Nzoia. Ours is
an enchanting country.
Kenya does not feel enchanting these days. One gets the feeling of a
country on edge. You get a sense of foreboding on our streets, markets and
malls. Many of our fellow citizens are afraid and unsure about what tomorrow
holds. Today, we are a house divided, battered by storms of greed and corrosive
ethnic competition.
It is obvious today – if the manner in which students handle grievances
is any thing to go by – that our schools and universities do little to shape
the character and values of the youth. The culture of impunity, greed and tribalism
we see in civil society, private sector and in public service is reinforced in the
campuses of our schools and colleges.
As a society we value achievement over and above character education and
raising ethical and caring children. A large majority of Kenyan parents care
more about their kids being competitive, attaining high grades and becoming
doctors or engineers. The exam-centric nature of our education is primarily
focused on getting children to score high grades in the high-stakes national
exam. Teachers will tell you that for parents grade is king, and nothing else
matters. This has turned schools into grade factories, undermining the
importance of and interest in values.
Parents believe that educational achievement leads inevitably to
happiness for their children. But science reveals a contradiction; the ability
of children to be empathetic, caring and ethical affects their health and
authentic happiness as well as their emotional, social and cognitive
development. It has been shown that empathy activates moral reasoning enhances
peer inclusiveness and reduces prejudice.
The growing sense of crisis in our country is beginning to erode our
confidence. The gush of fury and vitriol we read in social media and hear from
politicians is disconcerting. What I read and hear today reminds me that
conflict and genocide starts in the minds of men and women.
As vital civil society institutions involved in preparing young people
to assume different roles in society, schools and universities have a key role
in determining what Kenya will become in the years ahead. As such, education
cannot be limited to the traditional mission of training the mind. Our schools
and universities must explore and pursue a new core mission of nurturing a new
generation of patriots and nationalists, acutely aware of their civic responsibility,
inculcating in them empathy, compassion and moral reasoning.
Former Harvard University president, Derek Bok, observed that education
is the best means to foster civic commitment and intellectual competence, which
citizens need to participate effectively in public life. In my view how we educate our children is critical to
fostering inclusive prosperity and preserving our civil liberties.
As Kenya embarks
on a major review of the school curriculum, we must remember that developing
citizens is the oldest and most important goal of education. Kenya will rise or
fall not because of our capacity to raise capital from the Eurobond or whether
we look east or west or the scale of our infrastructure or the size of our GDP
or the might of our military. The endurance of Kenya’s nascent democracy and
the respect we command among nations will depend on the quality of citizenship.
Our best days are ahead because Kenya is the land of our forbears who
stood up for liberty and vanquished the tyranny of colonialism. This is the land
of the unbowed Nobel laureate who proved that sustainable development and
democracy are indivisible. We are the land of the young woman who proclaimed to
an adoring world that no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid. We
are the land of men and women of unmatched athletic prowess. And yes, we are
the land of the progenitors of a skinny kid with a funny name who believed his
country had a place for him too.
And now, more than ever before, Kenya needs patriotic citizens and
ethical leaders; a new generation of women and men who are role models of
rectitude, who will stand up for freedom, justice and equality. Sound
education, through our schools and universities must be the midwife.Ke
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