Education officials move to tame school unrest

The Ministry of Education has issued guidelines to tame unrest in schools and indiscipline cases among students.

The ministry has directed school heads to convene a crisis meeting with boards of management to address security in boarding secondary schools.

Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang directed the principals to call the meetings by February 15.

Principals of secondary schools who do not live within the school vicinity are now expected to live within the school compound to monitor the learners.

“Each school must convene a board meeting by February 15, 2021 to discuss and assess security and put in place preventive measures. This should be communicated to respective county education boards,” said Dr Kipsang in a circular dated February 2.

Dr Kipsang also directed county directors of education to convene county education board meetings by February 25 to address indiscipline among students.

In the recent past, there has been a wave of riots and burning of school property by students.

Students in more than 10 schools have staged protests.

There have also been cases of students attacking teachers and non-teaching staff using knives and other weapons.

The Ministry of Education wants headteachers of secondary schools to reinforce and enhance vigilance and security especially in the dormitories which are most targeted for arson.

Dr Kipsang asked the principals to deploy more teachers on duty and also ensure security around the schools.

“Schools should have mechanisms of accounting for each and every learner at all times,” he said.

Students who get involved in criminal activities, Dr Kipsang said, should be reported to police.

The schools will also keep a daily record of students’ indiscipline incidents to be reported to the Ministry of Education for further action.

In the circular, Dr Kipsang further asked principals to be extra alert and report on any possible causes of unrest to security agencies to avert potential damage to property and injury to life.

Dr Kipsang also asked principals to come up with human resource management mechanisms that do not cause a conflict between teachers and learners.

Further, schools have been asked to enhance guidance and counselling in schools because the long closure of the institutions exposed learners to undesirable behaviour.

Last week, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) asked the government to employ at least one counsellor in schools to help guide learners psychologically.