If there was one thing you could change to improve education in your country…

By Brian Otieno Odhiambo. Brian, 21, is a second year student at Moi University, in the Department of Linguistics, Media & Communication. He lives in Nairobi, Kenya

With regard to the given topic, if there was one thing I could do to improve the education system in my country, I would introduce and initiate the policy of free primary, secondary and tertiary or university education. Presumably, if I was the president or the minister for education.

A case study of Kenya, a country bordered by Tanzania, Somalia, Southern Sudan and land locked Uganda, has been credited to being one of the most developed nations on the eastern side of Africa, attaining a steady position under the golden pedestal of economic stability. Tourists admire its fascinating sceneries that are quite suitable for romantic escapades. Unfortunately, it has had its fair share of shortcomings in the grand mission of providing all and sundry with a credible education.

This challenge is attributed to the constant rising of the levels of abject poverty. This social vermin has made it cumbersome and stressful for some parents, since they are obliged to undertake drastic measures in a bid to raise school fees for their children so that they are able to get a good education and in the long run, secure a bright future for themselves. A future full of luxury, juvenescence from the fountain of youth coupled with wining and dining in the land of milk and honey. Some parents especially single mothers have even gone to the extent of selling their bodies in an attempt to raise enough money to pay for the children’s tuition and upkeep expenses. With the staunch belief that through education, their children will attain powerful work positions in the future and become respectable members of the society of great stature. With the hope that education will be the metaphorical magic wand that will transform their children to the geese which lay the golden egg that will be of great benefit to them.

That being just the tip of the iceberg, the girl child exclusively has fallen as a victim of emotional torture, drowning in the pool of mental malnourishment due to lack of the essential nutrient known as ‘knowledge’. In the common blame game and the finger pointing trigonometry, the traditional African customs takes centre stage as the core reason as to why girls are denied access to go to school and learn. The African traditional heritage stereotypes the role of women as to being confined behind the walls of the kitchen and taking up the ‘vital’ role of child bearing. This makes some parents consider the act of taking their sons to school and leaving their daughters in the lurch with the household chores. Apart from this, the parents who are willing to take their daughters to school, pay up to the last penny in their pockets for school fees, thus, they fail to cater for personal needs for their daughters. Some girls even fail to attend numerous important lessons due to lack of sanitary towels or pads. This crucially affects their self esteem and some of them lack the confidence to face others. These are some of the trials and tribulations all wrapped up in a giant cloud of hardship that an African girl has to endure.

In a nutshell, if I were the president of Kenya, I would work through thick and thin to ensure that free education is provided to all. I would enforce tough measures and laws to guarantee that there is gender equality as both boys and girls are able to gain access to all educational institutions. I believe this is possible through the issuance of foreign aid and grants plus partnerships with various prestigious organizations such as the United Nations, the USAID, just to mention a few. It is through this that the people will live up to the Kenyan dream.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to our newsletter!