Knut has dismissed the Education ministry’s assertions that unrest in schools is largely caused by fear of exams.
In a report submitted to Parliament, Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion said unpopular policies introduced by the ministry are part of the problem.
He said most schools that have experienced unrest have commendable academic records and students cannot possibly be afraid of exams.
“Several suspects are juniors in Forms 1 and 2, not candidates. Most institutions experiencing fires are national schools and academic giants like Maranda High School, Friends School Kamusinga, Meru High School and Kisumu Girls,” Sossion says in the report.
He also dismissed blame on boading schools, saying the ministry is “simply unable to run boarding institutions”.
While appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Education two weeks ago, Education PS Belio Kipsang recommended abolishing boarding schools and instead called for establishment of day learning.
He said this would ensure parents play a bigger role in shaping their children’s morals.
“Despite having put in place radical measures to contain the unrest and destruction of school property, the Ministry of Education Science and Technology has again taken a back seat, being tight-lipped on the ongoing school fires,” Sossion said in the report.
He said the result of unrest is that parents are forced to foot the cost of reconstructing buildings destroyed by fire and damaged by vandalism.
The report titled ‘The Facts and Fiction on the Burning of Schools in 2018’ said the delocalisation of teachers has contributed to unrest in 58 schools of 70 schools that have had trouble in June and July.
“All national schools that were razed this term have new principals. This has made the new principals to do everything, including wearing school uniforms (like the principal of Friends School Kamusinga) so as to impress, but it has not worked,” Sossion said.
He said interviews with students revealed that arson cases in their schools were triggered by the entry of new principals.
“A case in point is Maranda High School, where a Form 2 student confided to us that learners have a big problem with new rules introduced by the new principal, who was posted there earlier this year,” Sossion said.
Other issues cited in the report include late disbursement of capitation, lack of teacher participation in policy making and alienation of local communities and churches in the management of schools.
Sossion said every school has a unique management style and ideas that provide the framework for effective management strategy, to motivate and bring the best out of the school.
“That’s why Starehe Boys Centre was unique and admired. Alliance Boys was unique in style and leadership,” Sossion said.
He also blamed parents for poor parenting. Sossion said some children are doing drugs while others are from broken homes without proper parenting.
“Parenting has been left to teachers who have no power over the children,” he said.
Sossion has threatened to call a strike from September 1 if the ministry doesn’t stop issuing “unpopular policies”.