President Uhuru Kenyatta has called on parents, guardians and teachers to nurture children’s talents and stop insisting that they pursue white collar jobs.
Speaking on Wednesday during Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) Annual National Conference in Mombasa, President Kenyatta said that in the current digital era, talents have proven to be more beneficial and rewarding than formal employment
“We must start moving away from telling our children that the only job that you can have is a white-collar job. White collar jobs are now digital and today there are farmers who are making more money than professors and doctors,” President Kenyatta said.
He cautioned that being fixated on white collar jobs could lead young people jobless and unproductive hence dragging economic progression behind.
“It is your responsibility to help our children pick out what is best in them because God has given each and everyone of us a gift. And you teachers are privileged to be the ones who are supposed to pull that gift out of that child and make him or her use that gift to benefit themselves, to grow the country, the society, the continent and to be proud of themselves as citizens of the republic for the services that they deliver, whatever that service may be,” Kenyatta said.
President Kenyatta further outlined his achievements in the education sector and urged those who will take over after his administration to ensure the sector progresses for the benefit of the students and the country at large.
Some of the transformative systems he mentioned include the implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), Digital Learning Program that was introduced in 2013 and Teachers Training Program that has seen thousands of teachers employed among others.
He said the heavy education investments are paying of as the current education system is being recognized as the best in the entire African region.
President Kenyatta pointed out that students are now obtaining highest scores in the standardized regional tests.
He lauded teachers for weathering COVID-19 pandemic and made sure that students did not miss as much as they would have, if teachers failed to sacrifice their time and become more creative to ensure syllabuses were covered.
The Head of State requested for a list of outstanding teachers to be honored and awarded during the Madaraka Day.
“I look forward to awarding national honors to outstanding and transformative teachers in the education sector, those who have distinguished themselves through superlative services to Kenya and I therefore invite you through the Cabinet Secretary to forward to the national and awards committee suitable nominees for national honors and awards that will represent the very best of education in Kenya,” The Head of State said.