Spare the rod: Magoha warns teachers against caning learners
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has warned teachers and school heads against caning learners, saying it is a criminal offence.
Prof Magoha, however, said teachers are allowed to "act" in cases of self-defence but with restraint, adding that sometimes students threaten to beat up teachers.
“Nobody has a right to beat a child and the law still does not allow you to beat a child. But we know sometimes they threaten you … but that is a criminal act,” he said on Sunday.
“Anybody who lifts his hand to beat a child under the current laws should be arrested by the police.”
Prof Magoha was responding to questions from journalists about a recent incident where a 13-year-old pupil in Mombasa was beaten by a director of his school a Form Four student for eating extra chapatis.
The child is still recuperating at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital. Medics said the boy suffered acute injuries to his kidney and genitals in the assault.
The director of Gremon Education Centre in Mombasa and the Form Four student were charged last week with causing grievous harm to the Grade Six learner. Gremon has primary and secondary school sections.
A court in Shanu ordered them held for 14 days at the Shimo La Tewa Maximum Security prison to allow police to conclude their investigations.
Police said the director, identified as Nancy Gachewa, beat the boy and left him in a dormitory, where the Form Four student assembled a group of other students and continued the beating.
Although Ministry of Education officials said the primary section of the school is not registered, it has been operating for more than five years.
The school has more than 120 students.
Prof Magoha directed ministry officials to shut unregistered primary and secondary schools and enrol their students in public institutions.
“If it is unregistered, that’s not a school. If it’s a private school, it’s easier to close it down because our government learning institutions are open,” he said.
“If it’s an examination class and the students have been registered we shall ensure they sit for their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).”
