600 Presbyterian Church of East Africa congregants, teachers and primary schools proprietors in Thika, Kiambu County have received training in programmes for pastoral instructions.
According to Reverend John Mbae of Thika town PCEA, pastoral instructions are vital for national cohesion and healing as they entail training kids on morals as well as do's and don’ts in life.
Reverend Mbae said the church has introduced a forum where their congregants will be teaching the lessons at schools, a move he said will help in promoting national values and Christianity.
‘"We have introduced this programme since we as a church, support national integration and healing. We believe that the pastoral instruction will help unite our children in the way of nationality and peacebuilding," said Mbae.
"Our believers will volunteer to teach the PPI lesson in nearby schools. We have trained the Presbyterian faithful on how to teach and demonstrate," he added.
PCEA Thika faithful during the training. [Source/ Sam Kariuki]
The Scripture Union which has developed a curriculum for the pastoral programme instruction, appended by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), aims to embed the programme to all Kenyan primary schools.
Scripture Union national director Nancy Kahuthia further stated that the curriculum has integrated national values which the church and the union have for a long time advocated for in children.
We have developed a curriculum which will see that our children are raised in full knowledge of the morals and in respect of the word of God.
"We hope to raise a generation which is free from tribalism, hatred and corruption and this can only be achieved through the programmes for pastoral instructions," said Kahuthia.
The programme for pastoral instruction has lately been emphasised to inculcate moral values in children especially with the rising cases of indiscipline in schools.