Corporal punishment won’t end rioting, arson, and general unrest in secondary schools.
That’s what the National Assembly Committee on Education and Research said on Friday.
Instead, the committee has come up with proposals it says will help put an end to violence and restore discipline and order. Discussion among parents, teachers, and students will help, they said.
Some parents who have been forced to pay for damages caused by rioting students have proposed corporal punishment be reintroduced.
Education CS George Magoha has said corporal punishment can help curb unruliness and violence.
The Education committee said it has not discussed corporal punishment in-depth but was skeptical that it was the way to end violence.
“Corporal punishment may not be the only best way to help our students do the right thing,” committee member and Migori Woman Representative Pamela Odhiambo said.
The committee was meeting key stakeholders to discuss the sustainable funding of universities. They met at the PrideInn Paradise Beach Hotel in Shanzu, Mombasa.
The committee is chaired by Busia Woman Representative Florence Mutua.
Odhiambo said not all cases of unrest will require caning.
Guidance and counseling may be a better solution, she said.
Among the committee’s proposals is the progressive reduction of boarding schools. Most arson takes place in dormitories.
Fewer boarding schools will help allow parents to have more time with their children and guide them accordingly, committee members said.
The committee also said the haphazard transfer of teachers, especially as national exams are about to commence, is a major factor leading to unrest.
“We appeal to the teacher management agency, the TSC, to consider the timing of these transfers. Let there be some order and let the status quo remain in our schools until the exams are done,” Odhiambo said.
“Let us give our schools the stability that is required to enable exams to be administered peacefully,” she said.
The committee said a serious discussion among parents, teachers, and students should be carried out through the student representatives and students’ councils.
The committee also said most riots are influenced by students high on drugs.
“Regular testing and permission by heads to test students suspected of drug abuse should be done,” Odhiambo said.
The lawmaker said guidance and counseling departments in schools should be mainstreamed and strengthened by employing qualified staff or training teachers to counsel students.
The committee said the government should disburse capitation funds on time so schools can provide essential services o time.