Closing underachieving schools
Friday, September 05, 2025 | 20 Views |
The closure of a school may appear drastic and harsh. But when seen in the context of securing fundamental and inalienable rights of children to education, it is a fair and just intervention.
Schools are established to make a positive impact on the lives of children under their care. The right of children not only to quality and relevant education but also to a safe, clean and healthy school environment should be jealously protected at all times. In our jurisdiction, no public school, insofar as my memory can serve me, has been closed by an act of government on account of failure to meet educational standards and serve students.
It is not uncommon in this part of the world for parents to actually punish their children when they show signs of depression associating it with issues of indiscipline, and as a result, the poor child will be lashed or given some kind of punishment. We have had many suicide cases in the country and sadly some of the cases included children and young adults. We need to start looking into issues of mental health with the seriousness it...