NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) The sentence requiring a priest to preach monthly about the country’s sexual crimes law has ignited a debate about whether courts should be able to dictate the contents of a sermon.
Across Africa, hijab in schools divides Christians and Muslims
Some religious experts believe hijab should be banned from schools to create a learning environment free of religious influences. Students listen to a lecture during class at Oregun Junior and Senior High School, in Lagos Nigeria, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
March 15, 2021
NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) In its traditional form, religious veils worn by Muslim women signify modesty and privacy. Fashions range from simple scarves known as “khimaars” to head-to-toe cloaks known as abayas or burqas.
But in any form, wearing hijab is regarded as an act of worship or a statement of Muslim faith, and recently, the religious garments have triggered bitter fights between Christians and Muslims. One such fight is unfolding in the western Nigerian state of Kwara, forcing a temporary closure of at least 10 Christian schools.
Kenyan Catholics add ‘classrooms’ under trees in response to pandemic
Kenyan Catholics add ‘classrooms’ under trees in response to pandemic
A teacher works with students from Mweiga Primary School in Kenya Jan. 4, 2021. Kenyan Catholics schools are among those that have opened classrooms under the trees in an effort to follow safety protocols during the pandemic. (CNS photo/via Fredrick Nzwili)
By: Fredrick Nzwili
Date: January 28, 2021
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNS) Some Catholic church leaders in Kenya are proposing church spaces as possible classrooms to replace “classrooms” for children outdoors, under trees.
Most Kenyan schools fully opened to in-person learning Jan. 4 after nearly nine months of closure because of the pandemic, despite some fears about the safety of the nearly 15 million children enrolled in classwork nationwide.
Kenyan Catholics add classrooms under trees in response to pandemic
Kenya s school closures have been one of the longest in Africa
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Kenyan pupils learn under a tree at Mweiga Primary School in Nyeri county. (Photo: Nairobinews)
Some Catholic church leaders in Kenya are proposing church spaces as possible classrooms to replace classrooms for children outdoors, under trees.
Most Kenyan schools fully opened to in-person learning Jan. 4 after nearly nine months of closure because of the pandemic, despite some fears about the safety of the nearly 15 million children enrolled in classwork nationwide.
Schools are facing a slew of new challenges, including too-small classrooms to keep students sufficiently separated, ensuring students wear face masks, a lack of water and shortages of soap for hand-washing. Ministry of Education officials, however, urged innovation to ensure that learning resumes.