George Magoha: I would rather go to jail than allow rogue learners in school
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha speaking in Maseno School on December 18, 2021.
The Ministry of Education will not honour court orders that require students who are involved in cases of gross misconduct to be readmitted in schools, Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has warned.
Instead of risking the lives of teachers and other learners, the CS said, he is ready to face contempt of court charges.
“We have a case where a student is accused of homosexuality and drug abuse and other learners have threatened to kill him when he reports back. Do you expect me to obey court orders that he should be allowed back? Of course I will not,” he said.
While considering the rights of the suspects, Prof Magoha called on judicial officers to take into account the greater public interest.
“Will the judge take responsibility if the student is killed when he gets back to school?
“As the gatekeeper of learning institutions across the country, I have advised my principals that I would rather be the one to go to jail,” he said at Maseno School on Saturday.
He, however, said that the ministry will consider transferring such students to day schools where they can stay close to their families.
Citing the case of Maranda High School, Prof Magoha attributed last month’s arson attempt at the institution to a case where the court ordered the readmission of six students after investigations by Directorate of Criminal Investigations failed to find any evidence linking them to arson.
He said that the ministry considering the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools to tame indiscipline among learners.
“In the yester years, caning was part of us and I am a product of that. This is referred to as tough love,” he said.
He noted that the discussion to have caning reintroduced in schools will consider how teachers will dispense it to ensure that it is administered in a proper manner.
“It is improper to have the children to dictate what they want to eat, how they should be taught and when the schools should be closed and opened. This is total anarchy,” he said.
