Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) Ezekiel Mutua has appealed to the Ministry of Education and its stakeholders to consider having all students pass through the National Youth Service Program (NYS) before joining University.
Speaking during the 164th celebration to mark the scouts' movement founders day, Mutua expressed concern regarding the rising cases of student violence and indiscipline cases within the country.
"We need to have a structured way of bringing back discipline among our youths. The idea here is not to bring dictatorship, but to have structured processes through which we can arrest the runaway issue of moral decay and the challenges we are facing as a country," Mutua stated.
Further, he noted that the program could play a key role in moulding students to become more responsible. The NYS program is currently a voluntary work and educational program for the youth.
Established in the 1960s in order to train youth in national matters, NYS was rebranded to a state corporation after Parliament enacted NYS act,2018.
About 30,000 youths are recruited annually and trained in various skills such as engineering, fashion and design, catering, agriculture, construction, driving. The recruits are also prepared on disaster response skills as well as service in the armed forces.
The program has received praise from various politicians among them President Uhuru Kenyatta who, in past events, has lauded the team for providing support for the realization of the Big 4 agenda.
“I note with satisfaction the positive reports from the private sector, which validate our assurances to investors that NYS offers disciplined, dependable, skilled, competent and vibrant youth, whose work exhibits the highest standards of work ethic and commitment to duty,” Uhuru stated.
Mutua's remarks come at when the education sector is facing crisis owing to the escalating cases of indiscipline among students with Makueni Boys High school being the latest to hit national headlines.
About 258 students in the school were suspended on Saturday, February 20, after they refused to shave their beards and heads.
The students had staged a riot the previous night prompting the school to take action. Reports indicate that the school principal was pelted with stones during the night incident.
