Respect students’ faiths, heads told

• Education PS orders principals not to force learners to convert to any religion

The government has ordered school heads to stop forcing students to practise faiths they do not subscribe to.

They should also not compel any student to convert to any religion, according to Education permanent secretary Karega Mutahi.

“We wish to draw the attention of principals and school management(s) that it is mandatory to observe the constitutional rights of children as far as religion is concerned,” he said in a circular to schools over the past two weeks.

“This entails respecting members of other faiths and not to force them to convert or practise activities of other faiths”.

Although church-sponsored schools allow some form of freedom for students from other faiths, there is usually a mandatory worship day for many of them where all learners are required to attend.

Such services are conducted by preachers from the sponsoring church and students are required to subscribe to the conduct of those sponsors.

Other schools permit students from other faiths to conduct their individual services on days they wish, although they must also attend the sponsors’ church service.

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman Cleophas Tirop welcomed the order but said he was not aware of any major conflicts of religion in schools that were members of his organisation.

Freedom

“We have given a lot of freedom to students in schools regarding worship,” he said, although he was yet to receive the circular, which was written on February 19.

“Some can worship on Friday while others do so on Saturdays and Sundays.”

Some of the major religious groups that sponsor schools are Muslims, Catholics, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventist Church and Presbyterian Church.

Seventh Day Adventist Church executive secretary Samuel Makori said their schools did not force students into converting to the religion.

“All we teach them is the truth about God and whoever is convinced that ours is a good faith, we go ahead to baptise them,” he said.