Review school rules to end unrest, cleric tells Matiang'i

A Catholic priest has urged Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to review new school rules, saying the move would end the fire attacks that have hit dozens of schools.

Among the issues that Father Moses Muraya wants reviewed are the ban on all social activities in third term including prayer days, visiting and half-term breaks.

“Parents should be given a chance to visit their children in schools and advise them,” he said in Nakuru.

The cleric also called for the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools, saying it would bring back sanity to the learning institutions.

He associated the recent spate of unrest, especially in secondary schools, to what he called high levels of indiscipline that may have been orchestrated by the soft nature of the teachers and discipline masters.

His remarks come days after the Catholic Church urged school administrators to firmly implement rules and regulations that deal with indiscipline as a way of stemming unrest.

The Catholic bishops said principals, teachers, boarding masters and chaplains should be very strict in supervising students.

Father Muraya further urged parents to take part in shaping the behaviours of their children, saying they should be close to the learners.

Meanwhile, a member of Parliament has blamed the school infernos on the country’s political leaders, who he said are poor role models especially in the way they seek to resolve their political differences.

Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri said the burning of schools was an example of bad manners copied by learners from politicians who use violence and protests as a way to settle issues.

“This country has failed to provide exemplary leadership to the youths regarding the manner in which differences should be resolved without necessarily being chaotic. Our children are only copying what they have been seeing from [those of] us who should be their role models,” said Mr Ngunjiri.