Muslim pupils during an English lesson at Central Girls' Primary School, May 4, 2015. [PHOTO/the-star.co.ke]
Religious discrimination in schools will be a thing of the past if coast MPs will work successfully on planned laws.
The leaders intend to put in place laws that will punish school principals through heavy fines or imprisonment if they allow religious discrimination of their students.
Zulekha
Juma (Kwale woman representative) and Abdulswamad Nassir (Mvita)
on Friday said plans
are underway to ratify the Basic Education Act to introduce severe punitive measures.
They claimed some learners were facing the discrimination even as schools prepare
for form one admission.
“We strongly condemn schools engaging in discrimination of students based on their religious beliefs and practices. The constitution allows freedom of worship and bars anyone from discriminating against others based on religion."
The lawmakers said they have agreed with their Akorino, Sikh, and Seventh Day Adventist counterparts to pursue the amendments to laws.
“We have held discussions with colleagues who represent constituencies that profess various religious beliefs. We are all in agreement that we cannot have religious discrimination in our schools,” Nassir said.
“The constitution is superior and supersedes any law, including school regulations. We have already started drafting relevant amendments to the Act.”