Education Systems

Has the education systems changed? a few days ago, my neighbour requested me to assist her class 7 daughter do her assignment, Its long since I checked on the primary school books. Mathematics!!.

Okay, I value education, "let me know when they are ready.." a few minutes later a knock at my door, the daughter and her class 6 sister, both with a bunch of books... it was around 8:30pm. just about to prepare supper, I was eagerly waiting to see this "difficult maths"..

"I'm assigned from here to here" it was about 30 Mathematics questions, "But can we first begin with social studies?", Okay, still wondering,  "30 working  questions!!!" social studies there were like ten questions, where one is expected to read about the colonies and from the chapter answer the questions..

We quickly tackled the social studies questions.. went on to maths, but by the time we were starting maths she was seriously struggling, dozing off, I though for a moment, I'm I a boring teacher? I guess no.. only to later realize she had been working on other assignments since she left school..

As she left we had struggled to tackle 15questions, 15 more to go,.. may be she did it the following morning..

I kept wondering should the Education systems be change, could it be that they are being over worked? for the institutions to show the parents that their kids are seriously learning in school? Is it a plan to alienate/ separate the kids from spending time with their parents in the evening? when will they ever learn to do the kitchen chores? milking? when will they accompany their Mama to do shopping? questions crossed my mind unanswered,
I'm n't against education, it has played a big role to be where I am.. but not at the expense of other equally important things..

Can I propose, if there should be an assignment to the kids, let it be achievable.. there are still some lessons at home away from school to be learnt now that they scrambled off Art and craft, home science, carpentry and equals..

Every Parent in the neighbourhood is fighting with their children over school assignments, tell me when the kids will embrace education positively.. Are high schoolers pressured in education too?? but I guess they are the same people who were under same pressure in primary school...

©Sam Mwangi

The crucial Time.

We are raised and its pinned to us that without education we cannot make it in this life, I can confidently nullify this statement which I had believed to be true.. I'm not saying education is not important in life, I'm simply saying it's not the only requirement.  it doesn't guarantee success in life..

Proverbs says get knowledge, Education is very very important.

Last week I met some young men working on a construction site I'm involved in. on my arrival I found an interesting debate "Education." 

I found a young man aged 22 giving a testimony, "I left high school 6yrs ago in form three at kanunga high school" the school status is high in terms of education which indicates he was a bright boy.. "my parents didn't have money to enable me complete my education, I was sent home for school fees.. days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to years and now this the sixth year out of school my efforts to book K.S.C.E exams bore no fruit, I left home in search for greener pastures, no hope is left in education, I know life will not be easy and I have to figure out how I'm going to survive" I recall a quote that says
"The worst thing that can happen to a human being isn't even death but being born because you have to figure out how to live" he says once you are born you are screwed!!

"My younger sister who by then was in class seven quit her education, after spending my second year home due to lack of school fees, I don't blame her, despite the fact that she was brighter than I, it was evident her school fees would be a challenge too." .."I got frustrated by her decision..."

A drunk middle aged man joined us too. one of the workers knew him very well, he decided to cut off the young man testifying and narrated the worse story of the drunk man who joined us in the site..

"You are better, your life isn't much wasted , for 'military' (the drunk man who joined us -nicknamed after one if his close friends in high school joined air force, and he kept saying that's he's also in military.) he left high school with a B+ in 1997," I looked at the drunk man whom they claim had a B+ in 97' I recalled the education value by then, I was eager to know what/where he went wrong..

He confirmed he had a letter from K.U only that he couldn't recall the course he was called to pursue. Again his parent delayed to take him to the university, He had fees balance back in his high school.. "I'm yet to go get my highschool certificate.." he told us " I paid a visit to my brother who was working in western and spent four years there before coming back home. and that's how I lost the chance to join university.. from then until today I'm still at home, having used every kind of drug, and currently alcoholic."

Where did they go wrong, what can be done to prevent such cases from happening, from a distance before you get to hear their story one may think they are the kind who've never landed in any class not until you hear them narrate their story in a better English than most of us.

Had they been in the house of God this long, in one way or another their lives would have been better, the hope of the young men wouldn't have been cut, I believe they would have got the way of life,

At times we take the knowledge revealed to us about the sanctuary for granted, we mistake frustrations that lead to seeking the earthly pleasure for joy, and we fail to appreciate and thank God for guiding us and hiding us under His wings..

We think its our knowledge on books that have sustained us this far..  No!! its Gods abundant mercies.

Choose to reach out to that form four leaver, encourage them, let them get involved in Church activities before we loose them to depression, drugs and likes. guide them career wise, and change a generation..

©Sam Mwangi.