Let children play; it will not take away their academic potential

Teachers arrange learning materials during Numeracy Stakeholders Forum hosted by The Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) and Zizi Afrique Foundation at CEMASTEA, Karen, on February 05, 2025. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

While I was away in my writing forays, I understand a forum was organised online to ‘sensitise’ parents about the need to guide their children as they transition to junior high school. Parents are to help determine if their future career paths will be Arts or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The youngest man in the house is 10 and, as far as I can tell, all he cares about in recent months is football. It’s not the game on PlayStation, but actual footie at the local club.

He dons his shirt Number 10 and marches off proudly every weekend, including, we were surprised recently, on a Sunday afternoon. He skipped a Sunday ice-cream outing for footie.

And he expressed his future ambition: to play at the Nyayo National Stadium. He didn’t say playing for a local top club, or perhaps the national team. He thinks Nyayo as the arena of his dreams. He still doesn’t know that his maternal uncle played there for both Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars.

I have taught in universities where students are at liberty to enroll in different courses for one whole year before they find their footing. Or even create their own Majors drawn from their diverse interests. What’s this rush about?

I don’t know how to respond to the entreaty to determine a path for someone who has a clear vision of the world and is driven to achieve it. And that vision has nothing to do with the Arts or STEM. It could be both, or none at all.