Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha has responded to a request by the Kenya Society to ban prayer days in the school of atheists, saying that children should always be encouraged to pray.
The Atheist Society of Kenya said on Wednesday, March 2, that it had received several complaints from students in Kenyan schools who were forced to attend church services on Sunday.
“Most Kenyans have gone through a public education system where organized, obligatory adherence to religious practice was essential. This culture is still prevalent in many primary and secondary schools. It calls for a rethinking of the question of compulsory prayer and religious observance in our public school system. It is time for it,” read the letter partially.
In response to those sentiments, CS Magoha rejected the request, saying “atheists should go straight to hell as prayers are highly encouraged.” The professor reiterated that the prayer days in the school would not be stopped.
“The kind of prayer we put off is the kind of prayer that comes from outside because they come along with other things that spoil and confuse our children.”
Atheists argued that schools are for all children regardless of their religious beliefs and that it is the duty of churches and mosques to create faith, not schools.
“Public education should provide students with important reasoning and decision-making tools so that they can make informed choices. The goal of education is to foster a sense of natural curiosity and love for learning, not memorization of facts and dogmatic lessons.”
Prayer days are common in most schools, especially when candidates are about to appear for national examinations. On such days, the school administration invites parents and guardians to attend the prayer to the students to ensure a smooth examination period.
This year, the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) will be conducted from March 7 to 10, while the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) will be held from March 11 to April 1.
