Here is a permanent solution to improve school performance

Our candidates are always scared when national exams are around the corner as they feel inadequately prepared. We can say they should take their studies more seriously but then again, with our teachers striking every now and then due to payment wrangles, who can blame them. It’s therefore upon us as education stakeholders to ensure, even though this sector experiences countless challenges, our children do not pay for it with poor performance.  With adoption of a mentorship program we will ensure good results.

There is a practical approach adopted by the County of Taita Taveta to improve the counties performance. The initiative is called, Adopt a School. How this works is, the county officials adopt a school of their choice, most preferable one they schooled in. This gives them a sense of belonging and they therefore work tirelessly to ensure their adopted school is the best in the county.

One such case is of Kishamba primary school in Mwatate, which was adopted by the Deputy Governor, Snr. Secretary to the Deputy Governor Grace Furo and Brighton. They visit the schools occasionally to give motivational talks to the students, sponsor random exam papers to reduce exam fever, encourage students to improve their grades, boost morale of teachers by appreciating their good work, sensitize parents on the need to monitor their children’s growth and support them by educating them on basic life skills.

Addressing a meeting in Kishamba primary school, the Deputy Headmaster Mr. Noel Mwang’ombe said, “Since the initiation of this program a year ago, there has been marked improvement in both conduct of children and performance.”

Anyone who has raised a teenager knows they get inspired by example, therefore seeing people who have made it from their school will help them focus on their goals and want to be like them. We as a nation and stakeholders of education need all hands on deck to ensure  such mentorship programs are taken seriously and adopted in all schools.

The initiative will be best operational national wide if alumni of public schools team up with churches, parents and mentors who will offer spiritual guidance, counseling, and care for our teenagers in order to curb the menace of students engaging in criminal activities, like burning school property and striking as a way of expressing their exam fears.

We should stop  depending solely on the teachers  for our children's success, but ensure we chip in  because raising a child is a collective responsibility that determines the prosperity of the Nation.