At the just-concluded Unity Club retreat which brought together several government leaders – former and present – and their spouses, the Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement highlighted some of the key challenges that still impede national unity, despite the significant steps taken in that direction. ALSO READ: New report highlights progress in reconciliation He said that some of the major setbacks include the reluctance of some teachers to articulate their students the historical events that our country went through which culminated into the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The other concern is of some parents who still intoxicate children with the genocide ideology in their homes, and this is a major concern that if left unattended to, and urgently, threatens to undo all the milestones we have achieved as a country post-genocide. ALSO READ: Unity and reconciliation campaign kicks off While little can be done about such parents – fortunately, they are few in our society – there is definitely what can be done for our children to access information that put in proper context the historical events that our country passed through. This should not be optional for teachers or schools; and it should be made clear. It is through such that we shall salvage those among children who are misled by their parents. ALSO READ: Tackling Genocide ideology in schools Government, through the Ministry of Education and with the support of the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement must roll out a robust drive to promote not just teaching of the country’s history but with accuracy in terms of events – bad as they are – that our country went through. There should be uniformity in the information relayed to children and this should not be left to the discretion of teachers or even the schools to choose what to teach children and what not to. With thirty years past after the Genocide against the Tutsi, it is important that children are taught about our country’s past because besides the risk of leaving them in the hands of some of those toxic parents, we may end up with a generation of people who are indifferent to our history, which in itself is a recipe for disaster. We need properly documented history, which must be mainstreamed in the national curriculum. Secondly, we also need more independent publications on our past, which should be stocked in school libraries to equip our children with the knowledge they deserve.
