This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
December 20, 2019
Kenya's obsession with academic excellence has created a culture where children's worth is measured by their exam grades.
Parents often share their children's KCSE results on WhatsApp groups, with messages that highlight the As and A-minuses, while ignoring those who have failed to get their As.
This creates a sense of competition and pressure among children, who feel that their self-worth is tied to their grades.
But this is not the only problem. The objectification of children on social media, where parents use their children as props to flatter their own egos, is also a major issue.
Children are often forced to conform to societal expectations, and those who do not meet these expectations are left feeling inadequate and worthless.
It's time for parents to realize that not all children are academically gifted, and that it doesn't say anything about them as parents if their child scores an A.
As Education CS George Magoha once said, 'Everything that you do in life is important. Let nobody tell you that unless you get a job where you are putting on an Italian suit like me, then you are a failure. It is the person who thinks that you have failed who is a failure.'
