Parents must assume the role of counseling their children to avoid incidents like the Utumishi school fire tragedy in Nakuru County that claimed the lives of 16 girls, Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a says.
She asked the parents and guardians not to abdicate their crucial role in moulding the characters of their offsprings and instead leave it to teachers.
Speaking during the disbursement of Sh 17.7 million bursary cheques to 2,500 students of tertiary institutions from her constituency, the legislator told parents to take time to be with their children so as to know what they may be going through.
“Parents must get serious with their parental duties and responsibilities and speaking to their children especially during the midterm. It has been revealed that the problem is deeply rooted within the families and it is high time parents address it,” she said.
Ng’ang’a added, “It’s so painful that some parents are burying their daughters and it also hurts that some young girls behind the Utumishi arson attack have dented their future. We must address the issues affecting our children as stakeholders in the education sector.”
She also noted that learners at Chania Boys High School which was the venue for the event, had set the institution on fire a few days back, leading to its closure.
“The fire was swiftly contained and there was no severe damages or injuries to any of our students. I however urge our children to always speak our whenever they are faced with difficulties instead of resulting to things that can risk their lives or jeopardize their future,” she said.
At the same time, the MP also hailed students of Thika Girls School, Karibaribi for remaining peaceful and refusing to join the bandwagon of peers bent on destruction of school property.
Drawing a comparison between learners of yesteryears and todays’, Ms Ng’ang’a said there is no way parents can use draconian ways to discipline their children because of changing times in which they are well aware of their rights.
She also took the occasion to criticize the Kiambu County government for neglecting roads in her constituency, vowing to mobilize resources from the national government to bridge the gap.
Thika West Deputy County Commissioner James Wanyoike called for concerted efforts between all players in the education sector to curb unrests.
