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Govt orders teachers to identify cases of homosexuality in boarding schools


The government has directed teachers to identify cases of homosexuality in boarding secondary schools in order to weed out the vice.

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said homosexuality is a real societal and moral issue that needs concerted efforts from all players especially parents to curb it.

“Our teachers are capable of noticing some of these cases since they are closer to the students. Teachers should identify behavior changes but it is a problem that is societal and we all have to address it,” the PS said.

DEEPLY ROOTED

The PS said homosexuality was deeply rooted in boarding schools and has to be curbed.

“But the first place the buck stops is with us as parents. How have we brought up our children? What have we told them about how to take care of themselves?” posed the PS.

To deal with the menace, Dr Kipsang said the government has heavily invested in chaplaincy and guiding and counseling services in especially in secondary schools where the incidents have been reported.

Dr Kipsang said some of the cases do not start in schools but way from homes during their childhood.

The ministry official linked some of the homosexuality cases to a reaction to what the students might have gone through during their childhood.

“Were they molested by relatives, siblings or parents? So as they grow up, some of these things stick in themselves. And then they start manifesting themselves when they grow to become teenagers, ” noted the PS.

The PS, however, asked faith-based institutions, communities, parents and the media to help in addressing the behavior.

DISCOURAGE HOMOSEXUALITY

Dr Kipsang said the type of content being aired by the media should discourage homosexuality.

“That is why when Kenya Films and Classification Board chief executive officer Ezekiel Mutua becomes ‘difficult’ with people, we are quick to condemn him as a moral policeman. But you know we have to be careful with what our children consume in the media, it could be the problem,” he told Nation.

Recently, Dr Mutua urged parents, schools, churches and religious leaders to be weary of homosexuality content their children are watching on social media.

He said the distribution of content glorifying homosexual behavior was targeting children.