Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula has faulted Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i over the recent bans on school prayer and visiting days.
Dr Matiang’i banned all social activities during third term, in a raft of measures by the government to improve the administration of national examinations.
The senator faulted the CS for banning prayers for candidates prior to their national examinations; half-term breaks, visiting learners, sports, price-giving ceremonies and annual general meetings.
Mr Wetangula termed the changes being made in public schools as ‘inconsequential.
“How can one just wake up and say parents cannot visit their children in third term, what is the rationale and is there any empirical scientific evidence that children who are not visited by their parents in third term do better in exams," he questioned.
He questioned how the CS came up with the decision to impose bans on schools saying education stakeholders were not engaged in the process.
Wetangula said the changes were not for any good as they would not eradicate exam irregularities as projected, noting that any fundamental change in education requires public participation hence the sector cannot be managed through irrational decisions.
Speaking during the Bungoma Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kesha) conference in Kisumu, the senator blamed Matiang’i over what he described ‘placing wrong priorities’ in the education sector.
“I want to tell my friend that he is spending his energies on the wrong direction, priorities and things. How do you make such irrational decisions and expect to improve the standards of education in this country?” posed Wetangula.