Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has underscored the key role parents and schools have in shaping the character development of children.
Machogu said it is not enough to develop the intellect of learners without nurturing the character of the learners.
“If you have knowledge but no character, you cannot be useful to the society,” Machogu noted.
Machogu said parental care is important in the character formation of children.
He said parental responsibility for children does cease when children go to boarding school.
The CS said parents must be equally concerned with the character development of their children as they are concerned with their performance in academics.
“Parenthood does not end when children mature or leave for boarding school,” Machogu said.
Machogu spoke on Monday when the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Vice President Tony Devine paid him a courtesy call in his office.
The Global Peace Foundation applies a values-based approach to peace building that emphasizes universal principles and shared values as a basis to address issues affecting societies.
In his reply, Devine said the true purpose of education is character education.
He said his organisation impresses on education systems to transition from acquisition of knowledge and learning to lifelong character education and holistic growth.
He said his organisation also recognised the family as an important institution in the formation of the character of children.
He however said it is educators who are strategically placed to provide this brand of education.
“The essence of transformation starts with the transformation of teachers and all those around learners," Devine said.
Devine said policy makers around the world must be cautious with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“Be careful. AI can destroy systems and mess up institutions,” he warned.
Devine warned, saying there is a need for people with good character education to manage AI training of educators who manage schools.
Devine said he uses universal principles and shared values as a basis to address conflict, promote equitable and sustainable development, and engage all members of the human family as necessary and valuable contributors to building a culture of peace around the world.
The Global Peace Foundation organizes and implements field projects and expert conferences on grassroots peace building, education, entrepreneurship, and youth leadership development in twenty-one countries in collaboration with public and private sector partners.