Allow children to develop in context of their abilities

Academicians have learnt that there was once a man by the name Thomas Kuhn who came up with the notion of a paradigm.

That is where the whole notion of “paradigm shift” came from. From the way things look, it is quite clear that the paradigm that has guided our education system is about to go through a major shift.

I am of the opinion that this, in terms of how our younger people and their parents will perceive the world and themselves, is going to be a second major shift since independence.

Of course it will also affect the way parents think about education and the development of younger people.

EXAMS
The development of young people and the education system that a society puts together so that those young people become something is, in my view, most critical.

Up to now, our society is of the idea that every child – whatever his or her ability – has to pass exams and pass well.

They must pass well so that they turn out to be doctors, engineers, lawyers, economists and the like. Who designed that?

Is it possible that our creator made each one of us to be something different? Our education system must address that puzzle.

We, at the University of Nairobi, had a major event last Wednesday. For many years we had never been, or didn’t have the will, to get together to celebrate the talents and physical abilities of our students.

SPORTS
We held a sports day for the whole university and, for me, that is a moment I shall never forget.

As I watched our students from the various colleges compete against each other, I got the impression that, over time, we got it all wrong. I hear police, army officers and others taking part in the Olympics.

Why can’t university students who are gifted be part of the same? Just the other day, a Kenyan girl shone at the winter Olympics in South Korea.

Right from primary school all the way to university, the thinking should be that a child must be allowed to develop within the context of his/her abilities.

GOLFER
Golfer Tiger Woods was actually a student at Stanford University. He was however so good in golf that at age 22, he quit university and became a professional golfer. In spite of his recent issues, he is not any worse for it.

There are sports personalities and even popular culture operators who today are keeping Kenya awake.

We Kenyans have to really think seriously whether we want to take those non-academic matters seriously and support those who have the abilities.

The writer is dean of students at the University of Nairobi [email protected]