Monday, January 12, 2015

Attack on Charly Hebdou and our African Narrative

The Terrorist Attack on Charlie Hebdo last week must be condemned at all costs by the entire world. For the sole reason of standing with the Families of the slain journalists, I also said "Je Suis Charlie" 

The Attack on Charlie Hebdo (The New Yorker)
http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/attack-charlie-hebdo

Charlie Hebdo Editor Killed in Paris (TIME)
http://time.com/3657402/charlie-hebdo-stephane-charbonnier-paris-attack/

People Around the World Are Pouring Into the Streets to Support Charlie Hebdo After the Paris Massacre (Mother Jones)
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/01/je-suis-charlie-demonstrations-paris-massacre

There was the other voice in the entire narrative that was disturbing. But in a world of free speech, I leave to the world to be the judge.

No, we are NOT all Charlie (and that’s a problem) (openDemocracy)
https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/cas-mudde/no-we-are-not-all-charlie-and-that%E2%80%...

What was most stunning and in an extra ordinary sign of solidarity was when the entire world joined the French nationals in the biggest March in French history. According to CNN at least 3.7 million people, including world leaders, marched in anti-terrorism rallies in Paris and elsewhere in the France on Sunday. www.edition.cnn.com/2015/01/11/world/charlie-hebdo-paris-march/index.html 

This goes far to show how in solidarity the west can rally around their own and come up with strategies to defeat terror. Elsewhere in Nigeria, Boko Harram is feared to have killed over 2000 people. Listen, the world is silent. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/09/africa/boko-haram-violence/index.html 

The Boko Harram Millitants opened fire in a village in Northern Nigeria and bodies are reported to have been left scattered all over the place. While the world gathered in Paris to stand in solidarity with France, the world is silent in Nigeria. 

But the biggest question is, Has Africa mobilized the world stand in solidarity as its people are finished by militants who subscribe to the same ideologies as the Alshababs and Alqaeda terror based belief? It is high time Africa rewrote its narrative on whether it belongs to the unity of nations, or it is a different planet all together. 


Sunday, January 4, 2015

I support the Abolishment of Ranking in National Exams

I am in full support by the Ministry of Education for abolishing the ranking of students in the KCPE exams. You can not rank a school in Nyamtiro, Modogashe, Lamu, Kolongolo at the same competitive level and standards as the Sunshine's and Alliances of this country. What we should be breeding is all rounded Kenyans with high value system based on character and ability to resolve many of the pressing challenges our society faces today. 

There has always been a problem in our education system where teachers work hard to ensure their students pass exams as the main goal of education. The students on the other hand cram and memorize a few concepts to ensure they perform better. 

There has never been emphasis on producing young people who are able to understand the dynamics of changing systems. Furthermore, there is no proven evidence of students who scored highly in private schools maintaining the same performance when they end up in University.

It is equally wrong to condemn the average performers as failures who do not deserve a place in our universities.

As a country we should level the playing field to also accord students with technical abilities who never had a chance to score an A to ascend and achieve university education. Indeed if we strive to make university education accessible to all, we will be breeding a society of thinkers and problem solvers. Many of the livelihood, governance among other problems our country faces today would be a thing of the past.

Season's greetings all.