Who is to blame: Children, parents or REB?

Editor,I now understand why sometime back, MP Mathias Harebamungu encouraged high school students to remain home under the control of their parents.Boarding schools no longer have the tenacity and control over undisciplined students whose behaviour is highly contagious. Students have gone viral with drugs and are influenced by the unruly media (movies etc), and it does not make sense anymore to send students to a boarding school.I highly support the idea that the boarding schools should be reevaluated and disciplinary standards set in order to foster and instill human values, common sense and responsibility in the youth entrusted to them.This is the Rwanda of tomorrow and we are seriously in trouble if measures are not taken urgently.H.B, Rwanda*****************************It is unfortunate for these young boys to do such atrocities. This should send a message to Rwanda Education Board (REB) on how they orientate students to schools they do not want. Joseph Nziza, Kigali, Rwanda*****************************Dear Joseph, this is not in any way the fault of Rwanda Education Board. REB is a national institution that is mandated to allocate students to schools based on their choices as filled in during registration and of course academic performance when results are out.REB has done its duties right at least on this particular front since they even give opportunities to students to appeal in case they are not satisfied with the given school.However, in this particular scenario, I put all the blame on the parents who do not talk to their children. Parents should not push children to schools without talking to them; in any case they even know their children better than REB which deals with thousands.Evaluation of schools standards is still under REB docket and they have been doing this, but, of course we also need to understand the realities of our countries.If you really need a standard boarding school with facilities, I doubt you’ll find any around. REB has never forced parents to take their children to schools they don’t want; it’s entirely up to parents and children to refuse the offer, request for a different school, and if places are available and students have acceptable grades, they are taken up.Parents have left all the responsibility of the education of their children to the schools and the government, which is very wrong. John M, Kigali, RwandaReactions to the story, “Teenagers held over Byimana school fires”, (The New Times, June 13)

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Who is to blame: Children, parents or REB?