Errant learners risk approved schools in rules to curb unrest

Schools have been directed to form emergency safety teams, recommend transfer of errant students to correctional centres and ensure immediate closure of institutions at the earliest sign of unrest.

The institutions are also required to maintain a comprehensive record of indisciplined students and also ensure constant interaction with learners to urgently address their grievances before matters get out of hand.

These are among measures to curb unrest in schools as candidates prepare for the national exams in March, according the Safety Standards Manual for schools.

The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam will be done in March while the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) one will be in March and April.

In the manual presented to education county directors and education sub county directors, learners will be deemed to have participated in mass indiscipline in the institution if they jointly take part in unlawful demonstrations, boycott classes or meals, destruction of school property and invasion of other institutions, shopping centres and homesteads.

Currently, the Ministry of Education is training education field officers who include education county and sub county directors on the safety measures that schools must employ to ensure students do not go on strike or destroy school property through fires.

Last term, more than 40 schools were burnt by students demanding to be released to go home. The incidents left school property, particularly dormitories, destroyed. 

Destruction of property

Parents were asked to pay hefty amounts to help the schools rebuild the destroyed infrastructure.  

The training is spearheaded by Director General Education Elyas Abdi, and the director, Quality Assurance and Standards, Dr Mary Gaturu. The training began last week and ends next week.

“In the event that head teachers notice any of the activities among students, which in his or her opinion, may result in the disruption of general activities in the institution, he or she shall close the institution and notify the county director of education within four hours and after such closure,” said Dr Gaturu.

Boards of management are also required to declare the institution closed and students held from attending school for a period not exceeding two weeks.

A report should also be submitted to the county education board within two days of the closure of a school.
In case of damage or destruction of property, the management of the institution will be required to invite a registered loss assessor following the relevant law to determine the value of the loss. 

The guidelines direct that the loss assessed will be borne by the person found to bear the highest responsibility for the mass indiscipline. 

Every institution is also required to establish and keep a register of indisciplined learners, indicating the name, class, category of indiscipline, date and warning, or any other corrective measures taken by the institution. 

“If the act of indiscipline is likely to threaten the safety of the other learners in the institution, the head of the institution shall issue the learner with a suspension letter addressed to the parent or guardian indicating the nature of the indiscipline and specifying the date the learner, accompanied by the parent or guardian is required to appear before the board of management of the institution,” reads the guidelines.

Learners with high levels of indiscipline will be transferred to correctional centres for further disciplining.

Indiscipline cases

However, all students, regardless of their indiscipline cases, will not be denied the right to sit for the national examinations.

Schools are also required to ensure health and hygiene safety, safety in the school environment, food safety and safety against drugs and substance abuse in schools.

“In order for schools to maintain discipline and cohesion, maintenance of school safety is paramount,” reads the manual.

The standards also state that the direct responsibility of overseeing school safety should fall within the board of management with a specific School Safety Committee.

Each school board has been asked to constitute a subcommittee to deal with safety. 

According to the manual, threats to school safety include accidents, school violence and harassment, lack of adequate healthcare and nutrition, hostile school environment, lack of sexual maturation challenges for both boys and girls and armed conflicts and insecurity.

The ministry has directed schools to ensure that there are visible strategies in institutions that will promote the rights of learners.

There should also be high levels of interaction between school administrators, teachers, learners, sponsors, parents or guardians and the surrounding communities.

“School managements and their stakeholders must constantly examine and re-examine school safety,” reads the manual.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has since pronounced himself on students expelled from schools due to indiscipline, directing principals not to admit any student expelled from another school unless authorised by the Ministry of Education.

The move is meant to ensure indisciplined students do not transfer their behaviour to other schools.

[email protected]