AFTER TUITION WHAT NEXT? (Part two)

You know i would have much to say...

First we need to define, redefine failure. The kid Kevin has already failed in being a citizen of the home (boring), to make it short, he should find it in himself to put some mmph in the home or read his books, at home.
When i walk the streets @ 6 AM or @ 6:30 PM and see the kids on average walk home with no sense of urgency, with no sense of purpose as it were, i see failures. We are failing our children. Let the children play.
We should be afraid when our children are not behaving like children
That is the real fear  BY Bob Agevi Mulusa Via Facebook.

“If you train a lion to sit and the lion sits perfectly, we never say the lion is well educated, we say the lion is well trained” (Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad, a character in the Indian movie 3 Idiots)

In the past year, and this year, we have heard a series of teenage suicides. The suicides were such that they raised concern on everybody. Just the other day, primary school pupils were burned alive in school in Nyanza Province. This saw various educational heads face the sack due to what may be termed as ‘sleeping on job.’ These situations or rather incidents could have been avoided or even not have occurred. What do such events want us to learn?

Over the years the search of money has become a central priority in our lives. Immediately after colonization, Kenyans were thrown into turmoil and confusion. A society which had not really embraced the monetary trade found it hard to grope with the immediate urge to find the coin to appease the snarling dog; the colonial master by paying all manner of taxes: hut tax, poll tax etc. what was left of the demeaned owners of the land was to secure employment. This culture has grown to levels of untold misguidance.

A child is told to study hard so as to get a good job. This child is fed on the idea that government jobs are secure than other jobs. Therefore, this child will join the frantic race of books and more books. What we forget is that, these books without play fill the child with much pressure¹. What do these pressure yield? Suicides and wrong decisions.

We also emphasize on performance especially on science subjects and Mathematics. The weakest students in these subjects are overfed with tuition so as to perform. Recklessly we prevail upon these young minds to perform and they try their best employing even the most rudimentary method and tricks so as to perform.

Eric* is now 35 years old. He is white collar job work and enjoys a decent salary with packs that can send you reeling with spasms of shock. He is a trained accountant with several businesses under his sleeve. I have decided to bring Eric’s story since, this young man registered as a private candidate since he wants to up his grades to become a doctor! Does this spark in sense of reason in your mind?

We tell our children that they should study hard to become doctors, teachers, nurses etc. we look at those jobs that have a government tag on them. Why? The government is our ultimate target and decent jobs with secure employment our dream. What are the contributing factors?

Poverty is the leading factor which is coated with so much expectations from parents. You go to school aware that you are the torch of the family. You are the only string on the dangling and dimming hope of the family. This leads to failure. A generation of failures is born.

I call it a generation of failures because, if in any event my parents depended on me as a pillar of hope and I failed to deliver due to so much pressure, I carry the cross onto my young child who ultimately wont deliver and the string continues. Therefore the cycle grows, presently breeding the suicides and the outrage that we are now seeing.

As much as we exude mixed reaction on the minister’s outbursts, we need to know that we are the failures of a truly failed system. We are the ones who have taken books as torches to guide us through the tunnel of darkness towards that light at the end. It therefore lies within us to reflect upon the responsibilities we give on our kids. We should look at our own failings and like looking for a worm in a mushroom; try to find where we went wrong. We should not let the cycle of failure persist.  

“Change is as good as rest” (Agege in the book Aminata by Imbuga Francis)

What is the essence of children going for a holiday? A holiday is like a wink out of a stare. Just like a wink, holiday offers a child that much needed rest for a clear perception of new things to come and reflection of the things already learned.

The holiday also is a time for children to play. Do we have enough space for play?  

(Join me in part three as I answer the above question)

*1 refernce to the movie 3 Idiots