- National parents association chairman Nicholas Maiyo now wants school principals to involve students in decision-making.
- A spot check by the Star reveals that most students show signs of burning school property but are ignored.
Image: ANDREW KASUKU
The inception of a harmonised communication channel between school heads and learners could help reduce fires and unrest.
National parents association chairman Nicholas Maiyo now wants school principals to involve students in decision-making.
This year has witnessed the highest number of school fires in secondary schools.
Speaking to the Star in a phone interview, Maiyo noted that this could be occasioned by a broken communication link.
Citing an example of a change in entertainment hours and diet, Maiyo said this should involve learners' input before implementation.
“These children need to be listened to, they need to be involved but our principals don’t give students time to be heard,” he said.
In Moi Girls Eldoret, the students went on rampage demanding their school principal Christine Chumba to be transferred in February.
Students accused their school head of abolishing entertainment and sporting activities.
Eating cabbage and Ugali daily and sacking of watchmen were also listed as part of the reasons the students wanted their principal out.
Maiyo further faulted some school principals for denying students a chance to air their views.
“We still operate with the old ways that students need to be seen not heard, that’s the biggest problem,” he said.
He said if this is adopted, then it would make it easier for teachers to identify rogue students early enough and prevent tragedy.
“It’s only two per cent of students who are rogue but they influence others because they can’t express themselves,” he added.
Maiyo said there’s a lack of a suitable mechanism to identify students who fuel the incidences early enough.
“There’s a communication breakdown and that’s why prefects are used by teachers to send messages but learners see prefects as one of them,” he said.
A spot check by the Star reveals that most students show signs of burning school property but are ignored.
For instance, some Jamhuri High school students disclosed that they had shown signs of unrest.
This prompted the administration to send home some Form 2s and 3s.
The students were sent home on grounds of school fees arrears.
However, this did not kill their initial plans.
Two weeks later, a dormitory that housed around 300 Form 2s was set on fire.
Same to Buruburu girls, the girls allegedly sent the school principal a warning.
Several days later they burnt a dormitory.
According to principal Caroline Maina, the fire was in one cube out of the 45 cubes and was contained.
According to a report signed by Education CS George Magoha, communication breakdown between students and school managers are to blame for the unrest.
Other reasons highlighted were drug abuse and congestion of the school calendar.
Magoha said some school managers are insensitive to the emerging trends in student behavioural adaptation.
He noted that this leads to conflicting approaches in correcting learners.
The Ministry of Education noted that 302 students have been arrested over the burning of schools this year.
The report says 126 learners were apprehended between November 1 and 11, with the remaining arrests recorded from January 1 to October 30.
Some 41 students have been arraigned for arson and destruction of property while the other cases are being handled by school disciplinary committees.
-Edited by SKanyara