To resolve school unrest, talk more and wield the cane less
While errant behaviour must be admonished and punished, there is need to get to the root cause of the problem.
What you need to know:
- Schools have reopened for the third term and, in some instances, punitive conditions are being imposed on those implicated in the unrest.
- While the reasons for the unrest have remained mysterious, the role of counsellors is still key in addressing this recurring challenge.
The country has witnessed an alarming increase in school unrest over the past one year. Most of us reacted by empathising with parents and guardians and helping raise money where lives were lost.
Schools have reopened for the third term and, in some instances, punitive conditions are being imposed on those implicated in the unrest.
While errant behaviour must be admonished and punished, there is need to get to the root cause of the problem so that such criminal cases don’t recur. While the reasons for the unrest have remained mysterious, the role of counsellors is still key in addressing this recurring challenge.
The issue of mental health resulting from the demands made by the schools and peer pressure especially due to differences in economic class among learners has been thought to be a leading cause of these incidents.
I would suggest that the “I am an adult” notion imposed by administrators on students is a mistake which may end up in horrible tragedies which, if not controlled, may instil an indiscipline culture.
Country’s future leaders
Whenever university students are called adults, they get overwhelmed. Most of their decisions end up in dire consequences, including deaths. Just as we have witnessed in primary and secondary schools, the same case would have been evident in universities if students were less interactive with their lecturers and administrators. Vibrant counselling departments have also been set up in universities.
Lecturers and administrators should also take time with students to brief them on useful ways of dealing with situations before students kill themselves.
Preventive measures should be deployed in other levels of education to avert tragedies and protect the country’s future leaders.
It’s not enough to wield the cane, school managers should reach out to students before anger boils over.
Solutions to crises should be found before things get out of hand. Sometimes, it’s such guidance and reasoning that might be needed to avert tragedy.
Peter Musyoki Munyao is a student at Kirinyaga University.
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