Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has dismissed a call by the Atheist In Kenya society (AIK) to ban mandatory prayer days in schools.
Speaking to the press on Thursday, March 3, Magoha said he has only stopped prayers from outsiders.
“Atheists telling me to stop prayers in school should go straight to hell,” the CS stated.
“I am a believer and we must encourage children to pray even before exams if they can. The kind of praying we have stopped is prayers coming from outside because they carry other things to come and confuse our children. Prayers are thoroughly encouraged,” he added.
This comes as students and pupils get ready for their respective national exams.
In a statement dated March 1, the AIK alleged faulted the culture that requires learners to be prayerful during their stay in schools.
“Most Kenyans have gone through a public education system where organized, mandatory observance of religious practice was a must.
“This culture is still rampant in many primary and secondary schools. It is time to rethink the question of mandatory prayer and religious observance in our public school system,” the letter read in part.
The atheist society argues that students in public schools should be allowed to make personal decisions.
“Public schools must focus on presenting multiple unbiased views and allow students to draw their own conclusions,” the letter further read.
