America brags that it is a God-fearing country even though God is banned from public schools.

Unlike Kenya where religious education is compulsory, it is a serious crime to teach about God in an American public school. This is because of the First Amendment — a provision in the Constitution — that prohibits government from supporting any religion. Nobody dares teach religion in a public school for fear of litigation.

This is the situation although last year’s United States elections were decided by conservative Christians who voted for President George W Bush because he is born again Christian.

The result is that most Americans are ignorant of Christian teachings. Only one out of three can name the four gospels in the Bible — St Mathew, St Mark, St Luke and St John — says Boston University scholar, Prof Stephen Prothero. America, Prof Prothero says, America has become a nation of "religious illiterates".

Church sponsorship of most schools in Kenya has at least saved the country from the heathenism that bedevils American schools where no moral values are taught. Schools are entirely secular and religion is a personal affair left to parents and pupils.

In the Education Act, Kenyan churches wield a lot of influence in schools which they helped establish but later surrendered to the State. Among these is the upholding of the sponsor’s religious and moral values. Thus a Catholic-sponsored school retains the church’s values. Only a Catholic chapel can be built in the school and the principal has to be Catholic.

However, sponsorship has not moved beyond that. Only the Catholic Church has aggressively asserted its right and done a lot to develop schools. It is not surprising that most successful schools such as Precious Blood, Mang’u, Bishop Gatimu Ngandu, St Mary’s Yala are Catholic-sponsored. So are the most successful private schools such as Kianda and Strathmore.

Alliance High and Alliance Girls schools are the show piece of the Protestant churches. They are sponsored by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, Anglicans, Methodists and the Africa Inland Church.

Schools should avoid going the American way where they are devoid of spiritual and moral guidance because churches have no say in their management. The other is to make church or any other sponsorship meaningful.

Therefore, sponsors have to commit material and spiritual support to schools if their role is to be of much use. They should help expand teaching facilities, now a role left exclusively to parents.

The Education ministry should overhaul the Education Act and redefine the role of sponsors to include other players, particularly parents and local communities that have been instrumental in school development.

— Mr Muya is a former education editor and teaches at Rutgers University, New Jersey in the US