Keep learners out of mischief until schools reopen

The need to stay safe from coronavirus and having the country opened up to allow normal economic activities weighs heavy on the minds of Kenyans.

The reality, however, is that Covid-19 still is a serious threat. Positive cases keep going up according to statistics from the Health ministry.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to give the way forward after the 30-day curfew ends today. It is an unenviable task because he must walk a delicate balance trying to please everyone.

What is not in doubt, and which many Kenyans support, is that schools should remain closed until the Covid-19 curve is flattened, and therein lies another danger.

With too much time on their hands and little parental control, some teenagers have resorted to mischief that could ruin their lives. A case in point is that in Homa Bay County in which teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 organised a party in which they indulged in immorality and substance abuse.

Such moral decadence must be checked by the simple act of society adopting the collective parenting model, and parents being good examples and counsellors to their children.

Unfortunately, these responsibilities have been neglected as most parents either chase career paths or are too busy eking out a living to take good care of their children. However, that is not an excuse for failing to bring up responsible children.

It is incumbent upon parents and guardians to ensure they know what their kids are up to at any given time. Children must be kept busy studying and occasionally helping with the house chores until our schools reopen.