Would you hang yourself over education?

I have had an interesting "education" this past week.

I heard a ghastly report on the radio news. I teenage boy was sent home from boarding school because his fees were not up to date. His school [like most Kenyans] was some distant [many hours] from his home and he decided to get off the bus before his stop. I don't know the exact details. But, he was found hanging from a tree branch clutching a suicide note. He didn't want to live if he couldn't get an education.

This was appalling. My heart was broken for the young man. I felt for him and his family. I digested the story told on the news and tried to understand the situation. It is a difficult thing to understand, especially being a teacher from a western society.

I don't know any kids who would kill themselves over not being able to finish high school. Many students would be initially over-joyed with the dilemma and go home rejoicing. Why the disparity? I think it is a difference in values and experience. Kids [and I will use Australians as my example] would see opportunity. They expect to be looked after by their parent/s and would most likely use the free time to play on the internet or playstation etc. They may develop their talents with guitar or waste time listening to songs on their Ipod. There isn't anything wrong with this. This is life in the wonderful land of Oz.

Yet in Kenya things are different. Let me share one true story of a family that I know. This story is fairly similar to others' life stories here. This family has one mother and four children. The children are not all hers [biologically speaking]; at least one is the daughter of a friend. The friend died of Aids. This lady has taken the orphan child under her 'roof' and is caring for her the same as she would care for her own. The lady is also missing her husband who died of Aids too, and she is HIV+. They don't live in a home anything like you could imagine, unless you have visited Africa and seen the conditions. 

Education in Kenya is atrocious. Public education is  appalling. Free education is available to primary aged children and the government is starting to develop some high schools, but this isn't happening quickly. All Kenyans I know go to private schools - the high schoolers all go to boarding schools in the country [bar one guy who is rich enough to live in my compound - he goes to an excellent local private school and gets the private school bus home every afternoon].

We have another 2 high schoolers in my compound. They are wealthy. But kids in Kenya sit exams at the end of primary and are delegated to high schools according to exam results and wealth. This is modelled on the British system somewhat. So, these 2 sisters attend different boarding schools. Obviously one achieved better than the other. I don't understand this. I know that the parents are very wealthy and their mother is also the highest ranked public servant in her department. I am sure they could afford excellent education [and I am confused that you would have your children at different schools - but that's another blog I suppose - and I am sure the parents are making excellent decisions and that I am just out of the loop of understanding].

So, let's talk fees. To send your child off to private boarding school in Kenya costs no more than $200 USD for the 

whole year. That sounds piddly. But it equates to more than a month's salary for the average employed Joe in Kenya. Security guards who work 11 hours per night 6 nights a week get about half that - $100 USD. Remember that public high schools don't really exist - this is a new initiative. You also have to remember that many Kenyans are unemployed too. There are not jobs for them - they are not 'bumming' around.  You also have to realise that unlike Australia there is no government aid - no job search allowance, no 'dole', nothing.

Would you hang yourself if you were sent home from school because your fees were overdue?

No, you wouldn't. Why? Because you have hope. You have wealth. And I don't mean that you have internet and an Ipod, but you have food on the table. You have government assistance if life gets real bad. You get health cover, cheap tickets to the movies, free dental, job search allowance. 

The people here buy second hand clothes all the time, not because it is retro-chic. People here don't all have employed parents. Some don't have parents at all. Some, like the family I know don't have the opportunity for employment now that the sole parent has HIV. She lost her job when her employers discovered her health situation. People are tested by their employers - it is not a violation of human rights. How is she going to get her 4 educated beyond primary school? 

If they don't get a basic education what will become of them? Will life be hopeless? 

Kenyans value education. They understand that knowledge is power and that effort earns success. 

What can we learn from their example?