When I first heard that earlier Kenyan athletes ran barefoot at international competitions, I thought it was a ‘poverty porn’-inspired type of story and gave them a wide berth.
However, I decided to research the claim. And I discovered that it was not only Kenyans who did it but also Ethiopians. Ethiopia’s Abebe Biqilla was the first African man to win the Olympic Marathon, in 1960, and did it barefoot.
Western media always hammers on the fact that the dominant East African athletes were superb at middle- and long-distance running because they ran long distances to and from school and lived on ugali; and hence, running competitively was no trouble for them.
The legendary athletics champion Kipchoge Keino is among the Kenyans who attested to not wearing shoes while growing up. Going to school barefoot, whether one is running to it or not, is common for many African children from poor homes.
Barefoot running did not stop our athletes from bagging medals at the Olympics; neither has walking barefoot to school stopped the brightest students in Africa from walking into amazing careers and professions.
Many of us did not think twice about shoes during our primary and secondary education. We just went as we were and were hardly judged.
I am sure every Kenyan knows a school friend who showed up in school in a patched-up uniform and unshod but ended up a top professional. Which attests to the fact that we do not learn with our feet and neither does the cleanest and well-ironed uniform guarantee a top degree.
It is all in the mind and boils down to our intelligence and hard work in a conducive environment created by the government, teachers and communities near schools.
The insistence on full uniform before pupils can report to school highlights another corruption scheme that is, sadly, brewing within the education sector. Pupils and their parents have become the next money spinners for corrupt school regimes that lay down rules on expensive uniforms and where they can be procured.
Parents are not given a choice to either make uniforms themselves, buy secondhand or take time to find financial help. Local tailors were very helpful at creating affordable uniforms; why have they been ‘killed’ in favour of select garment shops?
The demands being made on pupils and parents on uniforms and fees are unreasonable and a conduit for corruption for teachers and school administrators. Most of our fellow citizens are struggling to meet these demands as family incomes cannot match them.
Instead of cutting our coats according to our cloth, we decide to make it too expensive to keep students in school so that a few can corruptly benefit from the unilateral decision.
The country can’t afford uniforms for every child let alone school fees. It is time to consider a way of identifying students other than relying on uniforms to ease the financial burden on parents. It won’t kill to learn in tattered clothes. We need an inspiring environment instead.
Books play a vital role in creating a learning haven but, sadly, that has also been turned into a money spinner. Producing books for the same lessons that have not changed for centuries (physics is physics is physics!) only goes to prove schools are becoming the next frontier for corruption.
Changing books every year or term does not help families keep costs of learning down and neither does it help pupils to focus on learning as they worry about books. The government should put a stop to this conveyor belt that produces books that, frankly, are hardly required at best of times and instead stock up school libraries with enough books for pupils to share.
The Constituency Development Fund, which is mostly given to corrupt leaders, has become an extension of the elites’ never-ending allowances.
Despite CDF being replenished every year, many parts of the country still lack proper classrooms and bursaries have become carrot and stick tokens to buy votes. Instead of bursaries, put money in a bank account for every child from a young age as an education fund.
Politicians, who don’t care about the electorate, should have nothing to do with the education of their constituents’ children. You cannot put people who take their children to private schools in charge of public schooling they know nothing about.
Corruption seems to be the norm but allowing it to permeate the education system will be our undoing. Kenya has been on the international stage to support global education programmes.
It now needs to put its money where its mouth is and fund education in the country to save it from corruption. But first employ highly qualified teachers and pay them an MPs’ salary to save the education sector from graft.
