Editorial

Schools have closed, the summer vacation has begun. This is the time that students and pupils make holidays, play around, attend study classes and engage in a host of other activities with peers, parents and teachers. But whilst summer is an enjoyable moment for children, it falls in the peak of the rainy season. Thus, it is a perio d that children need maximum guidance.

We are all aware that even though schools have closed for the summer vacation, study classes are ongoing and students are expected to attend these study classes. It is the duty of parents to ensure that their children particularly those in primary and nursery schools are escorted to and from school. Children should also be kept indoors when it is raining. While playing outdoors is normal for all children growing up, parents have to be more cautious to ensure that these children play in safe places.

Teachers also have to make sure that pupils are not allowed to go home alone after classes. This is fundamental not only for the rains; the heavy traffic could also be risky for the kids. In situations where it is not possible for parents to come and pick their children from the school, arrangements should be made by the teachers themselves to ensure that the children get to their homes safely.

It is also not unusual during this period to hear that a child has been washed away by floods or that a child has fallen into an uncovered gutter. In this regard we appeal that all and sundry work collectively to make the environment friendly for children. Those in charge of road construction should ensure that the gutters are properly covered.

Apart from being death traps during the rainy season, uncovered gutters are also breeding grounds for mosquitoes, the insect that transmits malaria. Greater attention should therefore be placed on safety mechanisms to make the environment safe for the children. Individual communities should also play their part by keeping our environment clean and making sure they don’t dump waste in gutters and block the flow of water

We should also not forget that this is a period children like to enjoy themselves. However, it is not the best of ideas to expose children to activities that would be counterproductive to growth and development. The children are our future, what we do for them today determines the future of our society. Their protection is therefore paramount.