EDUCATION & SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
June 23rd, 2026
By Alex Njagi
There is a school that never closes.
It has no bell to announce lessons. No uniform is required. No report forms are issued at the end of the term. Yet it remains one of the most powerful classrooms a child will ever attend.
It is called home.
Long before children meet teachers, they meet parents. Before they learn algebra, they learn attitudes. Before they write compositions, they observe conversations. Before they discover the world, they discover the habits of the people around them.
And that is why the role of parents in skill development is greater than many imagine.
A child growing up in Lanet may spend six or seven hours in school, but the rest of the day is spent elsewhere. What happens during those remaining hours often shapes character more deeply than any textbook.
The home is where responsibility is first taught.
A young boy asked to feed chickens every morning is learning consistency. A girl trusted to help prepare meals is learning planning and teamwork. A child sent to buy items at the shop learns communication, confidence, and problem-solving. These may appear like ordinary chores, but hidden inside them are life skills that employers, businesses, and communities value.
Sometimes parents worry because their children are not the top performers in class. Yet success has never worn only one uniform.
The child who enjoys fixing broken radios may be developing engineering instincts. The one who loves drawing could be nurturing creativity. The talkative child who never seems to run out of stories may be practising communication skills that one day could make a great teacher, lawyer, journalist, or leader.
The challenge is not to force every child into the same mould. It is to discover the gift hidden inside each one.
Think of a garden.
A mango tree is not in competition with a rose. Maize does not grow like beans. Each plant follows its own design. The wise farmer does not shout at the maize for failing to become a sunflower. Instead, he nurtures each crop according to its nature.
Children are much the same.
In today's Kenya, where careers are changing faster than seasons, parents must become encouragers of curiosity. Ask children questions. Listen to their ideas. Allow them to experiment, fail, and try again.
Let them read beyond school books. Let them learn practical skills. Let them discover that learning does not end when the school gate closes.
Most importantly, teach values.
Honesty. Respect. Discipline. Compassion.
Skills may open doors, but character keeps them open. A person may gain employment because of knowledge, but trust is earned through values.
In a world where people work online, interact remotely, and build opportunities through networks, character has become a powerful qualification.
Dear parents of Lanet, never underestimate the lessons your children learn from watching you. Your actions are teaching even when your words are silent.
For in the end, every home is a classroom, every parent a teacher, and every day an opportunity to shape not just educated children—but capable, responsible, and remarkable human beings.
