However this may finally be understood the writer of the article sited above goes on to say -
'According to the Kenyan and International law guaranteeing children's rights, corporal punishment is incompatible with the very conventions governing this.'
The writer is quite right to draw our attention to this. She further correctly states that corporal punishment in Kenyan Schools was banned in 1996 - YET many of our teachers CONTINUE to ignore the ban. JOY might be a very current example of this, and of how freedom by anyone to beat and physically punish children can be seriously and dangerously abused.
My mother beat me often as I was growing up, in order to chasten me for pursuing my rebellious desires. I was also beaten once or twice in School, both Primary and Secondary. It was just and reasonable punishment which though it hurt me enough to dissuade me from repeating the offence, was not injurious. If it had been, the LAW of those days would have prosecuted my parent or my teacher, for undue force and even uncalled for injury. Looking back I know I was helped by the concern of parent and school. I would not be glad it they had not corrected me as they did.
TODAY the world is changing it's attitude generally to discipline, and punishment. I see the reasons for fearing to injure and endanger lives from over zealous, and even malicious punishment,
BUT I feel punishment is needed to deter antisocial behaviour at every level. AND it needs to be punishment fairly meted out to DETER a repetition of the wrong done or pursued. The BIBLE clearly indicates this, and without any desire to endanger life. IF this little girl was indeed taken by her teacher and BEATEN, and if additionally he incited her fellow students in the class to also come to punish her and beat her more, (even without her dying), then it is clear he was being excessive. He punished for being unable to read. She had not committed a crime. His action was uncalled for. He must needs then himself be punished - seriously. BUT more to the point he, as a Teacher, would have broken the LAW just in physically raising his hand against the child, no matter how he may have been provoked. The Law has been made, the teacher is employed to teach according to the LAW.
Regretfully today, at all levels, punishment for our misdemeanours, carry less fear, and thus people, from the cradle, pursue their own way with such meagre restraint that they see little reason to deprive themselves of their own opinion and way of life. I say this as a very persuaded follower of Christ, and of God Himself. But I have, as I have lived, had it forced upon me by observation also.
Man is less in control of himself than he was, and is doing little or nothing to pull himself up from his gradual depreciation from the IMAGE OF GOD he is intended to be.
YES, I feel this very deeply. Yet I am encouraged and exhorted to keep the Law; even to uphold it until it might be corrected or changed for the better. Here in Testimony School we see a lot of teachers come and go. SOME (not all) come with a fixed attitude that they should 'CANE'. When they come to be interviewed we go considerable trouble to point out to them that our School abides by the Law, and Regulations laid down for us by the Government and the Ministry of Education. We do not permit the cane; canes are not tolerated or allowed in any classroom. Not one has ever questioned our position - until they appear in the classroom. We eventually do discover them, and they are immediately dismissed from the school without further preamble. It IS sad that so many men and women are willing to disregard the law - to wilfully have it their way.
The Bible says of us all that ' we all go astray from the womb.!! We have all 'followed our own way'. That there is none RIGHTEOUS enough never to err, or to have erred......We HAVE all sinned. 'And the soul, life, that sins will DIE'. Every teacher we employ is rigorously examined to discover he or she has discovered this weakness in themselves, and come to Christ for Salvation. All those who confirm their faith are considered, and some employed. YET many are found to live their lives making no difference with those who, without any faith, live to please themselves only. I am sure we are not the only school management to have discovered this growing facility of men and women to be be unreliable in their moral fibre.
If Joy is finally proved to have died from unmerited and undeserved punishment from her teacher, then I heartily hope he will get what he deserves. I think he is not alone, just one who got away it for too long, In all my School days I only heard of, or came across of one case where a teacher was rightly accused of disciplinary unfairness. And it is probably true to day that not all who are want to use a cane use it violently or without justice. BUT now it has been done away with altogether - and still a student dies? Because of the CANE? - or because of the Teacher? I mean Man is good at providing for things with which to improve and control life around him - but he is not always seen to BE IN CONTROL of what he has created. Strange isn't it.
THERE I HAVE HAD MY SAY, and I am done.
THE HEAT SEEMS TO BE RISING weather wise, and although it is an annual season of events, I have never got used to it enough to feel comfortable. I do not enjoy to much heat. I can work in it, but I feel beleaguered by it. And Kenya suffers about this time every year, and every year water becomes scarce, grass withers and crumbles to dust, and in the more arid parts of our land human and animal life is threatened even unto death. It is a HARD time. But everyone, including in government circles, always seem unprepared for the Season, as if they have never gone through one before. It comes upon the Nation as a total surprise. WELL, since we prayed, and continue to pray we still have water in our taps - Certainly LESS, but at least a little. Our grass is browner, but is actually greener than it was three weeks ago with the unexpected showers we had a while ago. We have every reason to proclaim with clear assurance ' WE ARE NOT ALONE - we walk with the King, Hallelujah.
Just a few days ago we received funds from Allan in the UK, which were compiled by so many gifts sent to AENON for US. And we DID need, oh how very much we needed them. I will be acknowledging soon, and probably with my usual UPdate. Until then our combined Love and Thanksgiving in Jesus from us all
John, Esther and Daryl Green
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