The interactions with institutional managers this week were rather dispressing. After students enjoying mid-term thus relaxing with their families, it was expected that life in school will normalize. Sadly though, some schools have still continued experiencing destruction, especially through burning of dormitories. What may have gone wrong with the student fraternity?
That has been the question posed by most of the institutional managers. But first, the good news is that despite the unexpected behavior of students after mid-term, we have still conducted two seminars in two different schools, one being in Machakos and the other in Embu County.
The one in Machakos was for a boys’ school that we conducted our ‘Creating the Future Today Seminar’ for the form 4 Class in March 2020, whereas the one in Embu was for a mixed day school that seriously wanted to transform their situation. Their main interest was improving attitudes, reading culture, focus/direction thus reducing worrying Indiscipline levels. Coincidentally, the principals of both schools have been followers of this forum most likely since commencement in June 2018. .
Regarding the question on what has happened to the seemingly destructive student fraternity, I have had one very simple response. I know only too well from my lessons in Total Quality Management those years that ‘Fish Rots From the Head’ thus, never from the tail. Why so?
The current mayhem caused by students is a reflection of what may have gone wrong in the entire national spectrum. Seemingly, every key stakeholder in the education system has contributed to the menace.
First, the policy makers in the education system can’t evade the failure to early enough align the education strategy from 20th to 21st Century paradigms (the main theme of our life changing seminars) – remember, we are physically in this 3rd decade of the 21st Century, but mentally in the 20th Century.
We noticed that some years ago and came up with the concept titled Career Dynamics in the 21st Century, to help sort out national challenges from a bottom up empowerment strategy. The empowerment ideas therein eventually ended up contributing to the architecture of CBC. Apparently, the disempowerment challenges currently being experienced could easily have been sorted out through effective usage of our concept.
Particularly, helping all Kenyan students to make the right choices at the form 2 class could have been a great move. We had in any case tested the strategy and found it workable in a Nairobi extra- county
school as is already well documented especially, in the 3rd edition of our concept.
However, the best we could do based on our situation upon weighing the perceptions of the authorities concerned, is to deliver our KICD approved concept to schools within our reach. I imagine that those institutions that have FULLY embraced our empowerment strategy and particularly the teachers’ seminar titled “Re-Creating the Future Today,” as well, have no regrets.
Notably, further reflections on education policies indicate that the government adopted and implemented the 100% transition strategy, which is currently on the third year. Sadly, students who have no capacity of retaining any knowledge are still made to pursue academics, their circumstances not withstanding. Do you recall that such students were in the earlier years admitted to the then technical secondary schools, where they could excel through education associated with the work of their hands?
Under such circumstances, the prevailing academic education is no doubt perceived as unnecessary punishment to academic minnows, thus their inclination towards high levels of Indiscipline. Sadly, even brilliant students have not been left behind in causing the mayhem. Why so?
Any ongoing knowledge dissemination needs to be strategically aligned with the 21st century paradigms. Failure to do so leads to making wrong choices at the various stages of the empowerment process. The end result is lack of strategic direction. The same leads to confusion and eventual stress which is let out through indiscriminate destruction.
What about the contribution of parents? Our publication titled “Living Beyond Survival: No More Tiptoeing in Life,”carefully illustrates how we lost our value systems in this country. Our focus became largely about making money to the detriment of our family roles and social responsibilities. Under such circumstances, can parents extend what they don’t have, to their own children?
No wonder, students have no respect for property outside their homes and will derive satisfaction even from demonic ordeals. Imperatively, institutional managers should not any more wait for policy oriented solutions for the ongoing challenges.
Provide proper leadership in your institutions as well as alignment of knowledge for your students. Further, don’t anymore allow institutional mission, vision and values to be only on paper. Most importantly, implement strategies that will overcome weaknesses associated with policy guidelines. A good example is measures that will discourage students from becoming rabid, every now and then. So, be fully in control, will you?
FYI
This week, a number of institutional managers who know me well, indicated that they love my regular content of three and a half years now. Further, they suggested that I should find ways of approaching their county education leaders, aiming to seek opportunities of educating ALL not only on the PHILOSOPHY of CBC, but also the ongoing challenges in the education system.
What particularly needs to be done to alleviate the ongoing crises? My response has been very straight forward. “My ideas are well known by educational authorities in Jogoo House. Conversely, it is you who knows these educational directors or KESSHA chairmen in the counties. It is only you who can refer them to me, if interested,” isn’t it?
Rgds
Mwangi Wanjumbi (MKIM)
Personal Empowerment Coach
Seasoned Speaker/Consultant Trainer on Strategy, Performance, Change Management and Leadership.
Competency Based Curriculum-CBC Architect
Author of 1. KICD approved Career Dynamics in the 21st Century, 2. Living Beyond Survival:No More Tiptoeing in Life
- The 21st Century Student:Are You Creating The Future Today? Also, Retired 5 Year Monthly Strategy Columnist (2013 – 2018) for The SME Today Magazine Phone 254772516210
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