Stop student violence to make schools safe

Increasing cases of violence in schools should jolt the authorities into action. In the past two weeks since schools reopened, three incidents of violence by students have been reported — at Nyangori High School in Vihiga County yesterday and, in the past week, Kisii School and Mokwerero Secondary School in Kisii and Nyamira counties, respectively.

This is worrying. In the past, aggrieved students resorted to strikes to protest against administrative actions — which, in itself, is objectionable. But now, they have taken it to another level, gravely assaulting teachers and non-teaching staff.

Precise reasons for this troubling scenario are not forthcoming. Perhaps, this can be traced to the prolonged closure of schools last year due to Covid-19, which triggered social distress and left many households deeply wounded financially and socially.

Some learners may have been tormented with the horrors of the pandemic and carried heavy baggage to school. Which is the reason we have argued that, besides providing learning and teaching facilities, schools should organise counselling sessions to help learners to come to terms with the emerging realities. But that has not been forthcoming.

Broadly, the violence masks the deeper socioeconomic and psychological afflictions ravaging the society. Many households are grieving and depressed.

 Earnings have contracted sharply. Learners are having difficulties coping with the new realities. Which is not to give excuses for the violence but to provide context for examining such deviant behaviours.

What is emerging is that violence in schools is taking a worrying trajectory.  Students are becoming more vicious and lethal. This puts schools in an utterly precarious situation.

They must take tough decisions to curb this gangland mentality and have the culprits severely punished.

The whole objective is to make schools safe for learners, teachers and support staff alike. We need quick actions to end the lawlessness in schools.