BUNGOMA, JULY 2, 2019 (CISA)-Bishop Joseph Obanyi of the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega and the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Bungoma has called on the society to use education to empower both boys and girls through education.
“Today, a lot of attention has been devoted to the girl child leaving the boy child vulnerable. Ignoring the needs of the boy child is a recipe for disaster in future,” the Bishop said.
He was speaking on Monday, July 29 during the official opening of St. Gabriel Girls hostel at Sirimba Catholic Parish in Bungoma where he said that society needs to come up with educational programmes that benefit and prepare all children for future challenges.
He added that Kenyan parents and caregivers need to ensure that all children – be they, boys or girls – attend school without discrimination.
The prelate further said that efforts should continue to be made to ensure that the educational system in the country infuses moral values in young learners. He thanked both local and international donors for their generosity in supporting and providing educational facilities in Sirimba Parish.
In June, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) said that notwithstanding significant improvements in the previous ten years, the gender gap persists on the African continent. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to have the highest rate of primary-school-age children who are out of school.
Although Kenya is one of the 19 African countries that have reached gender parity in primary education for boys and girls in the past decade, Bishop Obanyi warned against complacency.
He urged the Kenyan society to guard against a lopsided gender parity advocacy that neglects the boy child.
