School staff should inspire learners

Schools are considered a path to the development of the finest human attributes.

However, many schools are havens of anti-social behaviour, delinquency, violence and drugs.

It is, therefore, crucial for all school staff to join forces and consciously model the values and virtues that would restore our faith in schools as character-moulding places for our children.

Learners often get to school broken and in need of more than just book knowledge.

Indeed, inside the beautiful school uniform are children with big dreams, untold fears and disheartening emotional injuries.

All these children need to be mentored into becoming the best they can be and overcome their fears and heal from their background heartaches.

Besides their dream of impressive academic grades and lucrative careers, these learners should find in their schools' acceptance, approval, friendship and social and religious direction that they might have missed in their homes.

They need to encounter adults who epitomise great parenting, the best professional attributes, the best religious leadership and sibling guidance. 

Learn by observation 

As such, both the teaching and the non-teaching staff have a critical duty in inspiring that which every parent would wish for their children.

Their demeanour at work, punctuality and the quality of their services should inspire the children and restore their faith that pleasant, virtuous, fair and professional men and women of integrity still exist in this world.

In order to do this, school workers need to know that children learn best by observation and they should practise what they teach.

School employees should always bear in their minds that some learners could be battling discrimination and rejection, some even right in their homes. The workers should help rebuild these children’s self-worth by giving quality service without partiality.

Just as teachers insist that learners should be respectful, the school staff should also maintain good relations among themselves and with the administration.

Values such as time management, respect and loyalty, responsibility, integrity, dedication and contentment should not only be lectured but also lived.

Learners need to learn how to relate in their future places of work through the relations among the school community.

Rumour-mongering, bad mouthing and idle talk only break the learners’ will to confide in adults for any assistance.

Mentorship should extend beyond the timetables and the programmed activities. 

Finally, ensuring that learners leave a school as complete individuals is a task that only God can reward. 

Dr Silas Mwirigi is a researcher, author and the principal of Kagumo High School. [email protected]