In the recent past, Kenya has had a series of suicides, but what is more dreadful is the recent spate of suicides by students as a result of poor their poor grades at school.
Talking to Safari Africa Radio, Penuel Sada a former form four student who is awaiting her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Schools Examination (KCSE) results says that society has taught those who fail in their exams do not have a place.
“Our parents do not believe in talents. They feel that passing your academics is the only way of succeeding in this life,” she says adding that majority of parents do not have time to listen to their children. "Instead of asking the child why they failed their exams, they scold and tell them they will never live a comfortable life.
Sada explains that children are made to believe that succeeding in life is only shown with how much wealth they have acquired and that is why when they fail their exams, they feel they will not have that life their parents keep talking about.
“As parents we have drilled our expectations and dreams in our children,” holds Evelyne Dzame a mother of two and a Sunday school teacher.
"When I get to my house, I am always exhausted and I have no time with my children. Sometimes I work extra hours and this makes it hard to have time with my children," she holds.
The hard economic times, she notes, have made it impossible for families to have bonding time we once had,” she explains.
“Loss of family values like religion is also a factor and children do not have time to establish a spiritual life and once their parents fail to listen them out, they have nothing to turn to. That is why they become suicidal.”
City Prime academy principal blames the current education system and the society for this vice.
“Teachers face immense pressure to finish the syllabus before the term ends and once they see a student lagging behind, they put pressure on the student and we know that we can only handle pressure to a certain limit,” holds the principal.
He says that parents also have their share of responsibility towards this vice. “Most parents only drop their children at the school and leave the rest of the work to the teachers.”
“The family context has changed. Society has left upbringing of children to the parents alone,” says Dinah Kituyi a psychology.
Parents are less concerned with what is happening around their children, she holds, adding that they only want to be associated with their children when they perform well in their studies.
