Educational Research (ISSN: 2141-5161) Vol. 3(2) pp. 172-189 February 2012
Available online@ http://www.interesjournals.org/ER
Copyright © 2012 International Research Journals
Full Length Research
Management of student discipline in Secondary
schools in Kenya, a case Study of Bungoma County
Enose M.W. Simatwa
Department of Educational Management and Foundations, Maseno University
E-mail: simatwae@yahoo.com
Accepted 16 February, 2012
In the past two decades, concern had been raised to the effect that there was unabated violent
incidents of students’ unrest in Secondary schools and tertiary institutions that resulted in loss of
property, worth millions of shillings and lives in Kenya. During this time Bungoma County was
cited as one of the counties in Kenya that were experiencing many cases of student indiscipline in
schools. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate infractions and methods used by
headteachers in the management of student discipline in secondary schools in Bungoma County.
The study population consisted of 125 headteachers, 125 Deputy Headteachers, 1,575 teachers,
2,075 prefects managing 20,107 students in 125 secondary schools. Questionnaires, interview
schedules and document analysis guide were used to collect data. The data collected was
analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings of the study revealed that many infractions
were experienced in secondary schools and headteachers used a wide range of methods
managing student discipline in schools. This included expulsion, suspension, caning, physical
punishment, detention, reprimanding, kneeling, guidance and counselling, fining, rewards,
wearing school uniform at all times, self-commitment in writing to maintain good conduct,
pinching, slapping and smacking. It was concluded that methods of establishing and maintaining
student discipline in schools could not be applied wholesale, but they were contingent upon the
environment. Thus, the effectiveness of each method depended on the traditions ethos of schools
and their environments. The study recommended that school administrations should adopt a
“whole school” approach to manage student discipline. The study is significant because it
contributes to a deeper understanding of the methods of student discipline management used in
schools. It also sheds light on legal and illegal methods of student discipline management used
by school administrators in Bungoma County. Furthermore, the findings of the study will help
education policy makers, managers of schools, headteachers and teachers in providing them with
guidelines on student discipline management in Bungoma County.
Keywords: Management, student discipline, secondary schools, Bungoma County, Kenya.
INTRODUCTION
Kenya, like any other country of the world has a code of
discipline for students in schools (The Education Act,
1980). This code has been further elaborated in a
manual for Heads of Secondary Schools in Kenya
(Ministry of Education, 1979). School administrators
are directed to exercise the prescribed methods to the
benefit of the student, teacher, parent, government and
the whole country at large. This is imperative because
discipline is the foundation of schools. In fact educators
and government authorities recognize discipline as a
precursor of success in all school curricular and co-
curricular activities. For instance Mbiti, (1974) has
expressly stated that: “The main goal of discipline both
in the school and in the home should be to produce
young people who will be responsible when they
become adults. Such people should be able to make
their own decisions and accept the consequences of
these decisions like men. Every school and every
house aims to see its products grow into interesting,
effective people who will be good friends, good
husbands or wives, good parents, good neighbours and
above all good citizen. No lesson can be a success
Simatwa 173
Figure 1. Too painful to ponder: John Muasya
(pseudonym), at the place where his brother, Kimatu
Muasya (pseudonym) inset, met his death at Mawa
(pseudonym) secondary school as he underwent the
punishment of uprooting this stump for being a suspected
smoker.
without discipline” (p. 83-84). It is, however, unfortunate
to note that some headteachers and teachers have
been reported to be acting as if either, they did not
understand the code of discipline for students in
schools or had become the law unto themselves,
adopting the despotic attitude that “I am the school and
the school is me” (Muya, 1989). Incidents of illtreatment of students such as the Mumbuni Secondary
School tragedy, where a student died while doing
punishment as shown in Figure 1, though isolated, do
send chills down parents’ and students’ spines, making
them lose the long-held trust in teachers (Odalo, 1995).
The breach of the code of discipline for students by
headteachers and teachers has been expensive to the
parents and government just as they have been
psychologically and physically devastating to the
students Figures 1 to 18. For instance a teacher at
Makongeni Primary School was fined Kshs. 1,000.00 or
one-month imprisonment by a Kibera Court for injuring
an eleven-year-old pupil by hitting him with a pipe on
the chest (Daily Nation, 1993 October 28th). The
methods of managing student discipline that are alleged
to be highly breached are suspension and expulsion
(Muya, 1989). The Ministry of Education on suspension
states that a student may be suspended from
attendance at a school by the headteacher of the
school or a teacher acting in that capacity, if his
language or behaviour is habitually or continually such
as to endanger the maintenance of a proper standard of
moral and social conduct in the school, or if any single
act or series of acts subversive of discipline is
committed. (Education Act, Revised 1980. On
expulsions, the Education Act (1980) states that it is
only the Director of Education who is authorized to
expel students from schools after considering his age,
progress and the report of the Board of Governors in
detail. The Education Act 1980 amended 2001 gives
authority to the Board of Governors to:
make
administrative rules appertaining to the discipline of
students and prescribe appropriate punishment other
than corporal punishment, for a breach of, or non-
adherence to, such rules. With this provision, very many
types of methods of managing discipline in schools are
reported being used. Whereas some methods have
been alleged to be effective in managing student
discipline in some schools, in some, they have been a
cause of indiscipline (Daily Nation, 1991 October, 12th).
Griffin (1994) supports these views and remarks that
some of the methods used befit prisons rather than
schools.
Research questions
i)
Which Infractions are experienced in secondary
schools?
ii)
What methods are used in the management of
Student Discipline in secondary schools?
Conceptual framework
The conceptual framework postulates that the process
of managing student discipline in schools should start
with the identification of the type of students enrolled in
schools. It is only when the personal psychological
make up of the students is known that one can devise
the appropriate methods of managing them to the
desirable standard. In and out of school, students like
any other person exhibit either Type ‘A’ behavior or
Type ‘B’ behaviour at any one given time (Mosley,
Megginson and Pietri, 2001). Some students, however,
consistently exhibit particular type of behaviour, either
Type ‘A’ behaviour or Type ‘B’ behaviour.
Consequently, the management of student discipline in
schools model (Figure 2) illustrates how student
discipline could be managed in schools. Students, who
exhibit Type A behaviour tend to be disruptive, lack
patience, are irrational and are susceptible to emotional
outbursts. Such students are likely to commit minor
infractions, major violations and intolerable offences.
The model asserts that disciplinary procedures using
graduated penalties can be used to manage Type ‘A’
behavior as follows: When minor infractions are com-
174 Educ. Res.
STUDENT BEHAVIOUR
TYPE ‘A’ BEHAVIOUR
TYPE ‘B’ BEHAVIOUR
INFRACTIONS COMMITTED
MINOR
INTOLERABLE
MAJOR
E.g. Tardiness, Taking
too long breaks,
leaving classroom or
school early, littering,
noisemaking,
carelessness
first action: –informal
warning coupled with
guidance by surrogate
mothers or fathers
Second Action:warning by
discipline teacher in
the presence of the
deputy headteacher
third action :-–
written reprimand
by the deputy
headteacher
fourth action: –
becomes a major
offense and is dealt
with accordingly
E.g. lying,
fighting, cheating,
stealing, feigning
illness, failing to
do assignments,
sleeping in class
Provision of enabling
environment for the
promotion of selfdiscipline (i.e. Growth
and Development in
self-control and
orderly behaviour to
build morale and
E.g. Drug abuse, drug
trafficking, keeping fire
arms, sexual harassment,
rape, robbery, indecency
first action:- summon
the student to the
headteacher’s office
for reprimanding,
punishment and
counseling
Action:– exclude from
school, convene board of
governors meeting and
deal with the case
decisively
second action: – exclude
from school up to five
days and report back
with the registered
parent, punish and
counsel
third action: – becomes
intolerable offence and
is dealt with accordingly.
Key
When corrective measure is
not effective
When corrective measure
is effective
Source: Adapted from Supervisory Management
(Mosley, Megginson and Pietri, 2001)
Figure 2. Management of Student Discipline in Schools Mod
mitted the students can be warned and guided by
surrogate fathers and mothers. Where this corrective
measure is not effective the second Action is to warn
the student in the presence of the Deputy Headteacher.
However, if the student fails to change positively, the
deputy headteacher can reprimand him in writing.
Failure to hit the school’s expectations the student’s
infractions become major violations. The model
prescribes that major violations can be dealt with as
follows: First the offenders should be summoned to the
headteacher’s office for reprimanding, punishment and
counseling. If they do not hit these corrective measures,
the second action is to exclude them from school up to
five days plus written warning and a letter summoning
both parents to accompany the student back to school
at the end of the five days. The student should be
punished and counseled. Where there is no positive
change, the third action is to treat the case as an
intolerable offence. Intolerable offences are grave and
the action against the offenders is to exclude them from
school indefinitely and convene a Board of Governors
committee meeting within fourteen days to deal with the
matter. The recommended punishments for intolerable
offences are suspensions and expulsions. If the student
Simatwa 175
is readmitted to the same school appropriate
punishment should be prescribed and administered
other than caning or corporal punishment (Republic of
Kenya, 2001, Education Act Legal Notice No. 56 of
2001). Students who exhibit Type ‘B’ behavior tend to
be calmer, are more realistic than Type A behaviour in
their reactions and actions. Type ‘B’ students’ discipline
can be enhanced by instilling into them self-discipline.
Consequently, the model proposes that student friendly
methods like self-control promotion approach, which
involves motivation and positive reinforcement of
desirable behaviors, and due process approach should
be used to promote discipline. Thus deviant behaviour
should be corrected immediately it is noticed and good
behaviour encouraged accordingly. Due process
enhances discipline by guaranteeing the student
accused of violating an established rule a hearing to
determine the extent of guilt. Essentially the following
conditions ensure that a student receives justice in the
form of due process: Rules and regulations exist, there
are specific, fixed penalties for violating the rules with
progressive degrees in the severity of penalties and
penalties are imposed only after a hearing has been
conducted for the accused at which time the extent of
guilt is determined. In the light of this conceptual
framework, student discipline management calls for
different functional methods, most of which should be
student friendly to guard against tendency for revenge
by students. Operationally, where student friendly
methods fail suitable corrective methods must just be
applied, namely suspension and expulsion.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this study was to investigate the
infractions experienced and methods used by
headteachers in the management of student discipline
in secondary schools in Bungoma County (Bungoma
East, West, South, Central, North and Kimilili Districts).
A conceptual framework was used to focus on the
processes of managing student discipline in secondary
schools. The study adopted a descriptive survey
design. The study population consisted of 125
headteachers, 125 Deputy Headteachers, 1,575
teachers, 2,075 prefects managing 20,107 students in
125 secondary schools. A representative sample of 40
headteachers, 40 deputy headteachers, 200 teachers
and 200 prefects in 40 secondary schools was used.
Two sampling methods were used in the study, that is,
stratified random sampling and purposive. The
instruments employed for data collection were
questionnaire, non-participant observation, interview
schedules and document analysis guide. The data
collected was analyzed using descriptive statistic inform
of frequency counts and percentages.
RESULTS
Research Question 1. Which infractions
experienced in secondary schools?
are
Headteachers were asked to list infractions experienced
in their secondary schools. Their responses were as
shown in Table 1.
From Table 1, it is clear that secondary schools
experience a wide range of disciplinary problems quite
frequently. The minor infractions that were experienced
were noisemaking, lateness of at least 3 minutes in
curricular and co-curricular activities. Most of the major
infractions namely, indecency, drug sale and abuse,
rioting and possession of inflammable substances were
experienced less frequently, but their effects were quite
devastating as they resulted in loss of lives, valuable
time and property. (Figures 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 17 and 18.
For instance in the recent past students elsewhere have
been burnt using such substances (Figures 4, 5, 10, 12,
14). From data available schools are no longer safe
places for both students and teachers. For school
administrators to revert them to the lost glory of being
havens of peace, schools must put in place effective
disciplinary systems.
Research Question 2. What methods are used in the
management of Student Discipline in secondary
schools?
Headteachers were asked to state disciplinary methods
they used in establishing and maintaining student
discipline in secondary schools in Bungoma County.
Their responses were as shown in Table 2.
From Table 2, it is clear that headteachers used a
wide range of disciplinary methods in managing student
discipline in schools. These methods were also implied
in school rules and regulations of all the schools. In
essence all schools had adopted zero tolerance policies
for all offences. By "zero tolerance policies" it meant
school
policies that
mandated predetermined
consequence(s) or punishment(s) for specific offences.
Schools were using both legal and illegal disciplinary
methods to control students. Twelve point five percent
of the schools were still administering corporal
punishment, which was outlawed in the year 2001
(Republic of Kenya, 2001a). Twenty-five percent of the
schools were using parents/guardians to administer
corporal punishment. (Figure 3) A hundred percent
were using smacking/slapping/pinching, all these being
illegal in accordance with legal notice No.56 which
outlawed corporal punishment and the constitution of
Kenya (Republic of Kenya, 2010) which prohibits
torture, inhuman and degrading treatment of a person
176 Educ. Res.
Table 1. Infractions experienced in secondary schools in Bungoma County as indicated by
Headteachers (n=40)
Infractions
Number of
Schools
Noise making
Vandalism of school property
Drug abuse
Theft of items worth over Kshs.10.00
Absenteeism
Sneaking
Disobedience
Lying
Possession of weapons other than firearms
Possession of inflammable substances
Physical attacks or fighting
Lateness
Indecency
Bullying
Sexual harassment
Drug Sale
Rioting/unrest
Neglect of Class-work, assignments
40
40
20
30
40
40
40
40
20
20
40
40
10
40
30
10
20
40
Percentage
(%)
100
100
50
75
100
100
100
100
50
50
100
100
25
100
75
25
50
100
Frequency
(f)
Daily
Monthly
Termly
Monthly
Termly
Monthly
Termly
Termly
Monthly
Termly
Termly
Weekly
Termly
Termly
Monthly
Termly
Annually
Weekly
Figure 3. Barasa’s (pseudonym) father shows injuries
sustained during caning for not completing classwork
Figure 4. Pupils’ of Onyalo (pseudonym) Primary School kneel
down as an alternative type of punishment to corporal punishment
Simatwa 177
Table 2. Disciplinary methods used by headteachers in establishing and maintaining student discipline in
secondary schools in Bungoma County as indicated by Headteachers (n=40)
Disciplinary method
Expulsion
Suspension lasting at least 5days
Corporal punishment by teachers up to March 2001
Corporal punishment after March 2001
Corporal punishment by parents before March 2001
Corporal punishment by parents after March 2001
Verbal reprimand
Slapping/pinching/smacking
Detention
Kneeling
Guidance and Counselling
Fining
Rewarding good conduct
Written warning
Wearing school uniform at all times
Self-commitment in writing to maintain good conduct
Manual labour, i.e. cleaning rooms, slashing grass,
uprooting tree stumps
Number of schools
using the method
40
40
40
5
5
10
40
40
20
40
40
40
40
40
40
30
30
Percentage of schools
using the method
100
100
100
12.5
12.5
25
100
100
50
100
100
100
100
100
100
75
75
Figure 5. Girls punished by kneeling at Cheuri (pseudonym) Girls
High School for lateness
unlawfully. A hundred percent of the schools were using
the legal methods, namely, expulsion, verbal reprimand,
suspension, fining, guidance and counselling, rewarding
and wearing school uniform at all times. Fifty percent of
the schools were using detention, manual labour and
self-commitment to maintain good conduct. A hundred
percent were using kneeling method which is not only
humiliating but injurious and degrading (Figures 4, 5 and
6). Furthermore it was noted that headteachers and
teachers had the following different considerations and
reservations when applying each method of managing
student discipline in their schools.
DISCUSSION
Suspension and Expulsion
Headteachers indicated that they had powers to
suspend students for fourteen days and no absolute
powers to suspend students for a period exceeding
fourteen days without consulting Boards of Governors,
Provincial Directors of Education, Director of Higher
Education and the Education secretary in accordance
with the Education Act Cap 211 (Republic of Kenya,
1980). They indicated that they had no absolute powers
178 Educ. Res.
to use expulsion as a sanction in schools without
consulting Boards of Governors, Provincial Director of
Education, Director of Higher Education and the
Education secretary, (Education Act Cap 211). They
noted that suspensions and expulsions as sanctions in
schools were to be used sparingly. This was important
because most students and the society in general were
against the use of these sanctions. In fact these
sanctions had allegedly led to loss of lives and property,
instigated by the victims of these sanctions elsewhere
in the country (Daily Nation, 1991 November 30th). Thus
the affected students could come back to school
determined to revenge. In view of this fact all the forty
headteachers involved in this study that the way
forward in using these sanctions included prompt
resolutions on suspensions and expulsions, whereby
students were to be kept out of schools a little as
possible. Since the use of these sanctions had drastic
consequences, they were only used as the last resort.
In which case school administrators first considered use
of alternative sanctions, second interviewed the
concerned students and parents, third identified special
educational needs, fourth negotiated agreements with
the students and parents, fifth issued formal warning
and sixth withdrew them from classes and excluded
them from schools only as an inevitable action. Further,
students who showed signs of criminal tendencies,
which were not resolved by school sanctions, were
assessed with a view of being transferred to youth
rehabilitation
centers.
When
determining
the
appropriateness of suspension and expulsion as
sanctions, the punishment was to be commensurate
with offence. Each incident of indiscipline was
examined individually in the context of the established
school discipline policies with which teachers, parents
and students were familiar and also in the light of the
criminal, constitutional and civil laws. The headteachers
in all cases first considered the following parameters in
relation to the form of punishment that was
administered to the student; age, Health status, the
student’s indiscipline record at that school and severity
of the indiscipline, the frequency of its occurrence and
the likelihood of it recurring. Where it became
necessary for a headteacher to suspend a student for
more than three days, this study revealed that the
following procedures applied: The headteacher without
delay, on the day of the suspension would inform the
student’s parents or guardian of the suspension, the
length of the suspension and the specific reasons for it.
There was formal notification which provided sufficient
particulars to ensure that the reason for suspension
was fully understood and that all the relevant
circumstances were made known. The Education Act,
Cap 211 (Republic of Kenya 1980) required that the
notification was to be in writing. The notification
informed parents and guardians on the need to assist
deal with the problem. The headteacher could at once
inform the Board of Governors of the punishment.
By convening a Board of Governors Committee
meeting, the governors were always given the
opportunity to intervene if appropriate. There would be
of course no need to intervene if they were contented
with the headteacher’s actions. Good practice required
that the matters were discussed and disposed off
objectively. The Board of Governors’ usually had an
option to direct the headteacher to reinstate a student
who had been suspended for a period in excess of five
days or where a student could lose an opportunity to
take a public examination. In the case of short period of
suspension, the student usually came back in school
before the meeting was arranged, but the meeting,
nevertheless serve the purpose of enabling students
and parents to be satisfied that the matter had been
heard and perhaps the record set straight. The students
were to be given the opportunity to make written and
oral representation in an environment, which avoided
intimidation and excessive formality. As opposed to the
usual practice, the selected executive committee of the
Board of Governor to deal with the matter none of
whom was to be the headteacher. The decision of the
meeting and the reason for the decision were usually
clearly communicated to the parents/guardians without
delay. If the Board of Governor felt the student were to
be expelled, the parent and student would without delay
be informed of the intention and the Director of Higher
Education, Education secretary and Provincial Director
of Education were to also inform immediately. Lately, it
was the Education secretary who was mandated to
expel a student from a school after thorough
investigation.
Where suspension was to take longer than two
weeks, the headteacher of the suspending school
wherever practicable, made arrangements for the
student who was suspended to receive school work to
do at home until he returned to school. This was
important for the student’s positive transformational
process. Fundamentally expulsion was only used in
consideration of the following parameters. That is when;
all reasonable steps had been taken in vain, it was a
last resort, allowing the student to remain in school
would be seriously detrimental to the education of the
student and to that of others and proper consideration
was given to the possibility that a student behaving
unacceptably had special educational needs which
required attention of Youth rehabilitation centre’s.
All the forty headteachers involved in the study
contended that the bureaucratic procedures in applying
suspension and expulsion discouraged the school
administrators from using them. Headteachers therefore
argued that they be given powers lawfully to be
applying these methods in consultation with the Board
Governors and Provincial Education Authorities only,
because the requirement that school heads consult the
Provincial Director of Education, Director of Education
and Education secretary before administering discipline
on errant students by suspension and expulsion was a
Simatwa 179
Figure 6. Students of Wanani (pseudonym) secondary
school display the injuries they sustained after they were
punished by being ordered to walk on their knees on
gravel by one of their teachers. They were accused of
talking during morning assembly.
Figure 7. John Masai (pseudonym) a prefect at Olomaina
(pseudonym) High School, shows the injuries he
sustained in an attack by Form Four students
waste of time and undermines the authority of
headteachers. In their view, private schools faced few
strikes and violence because their administrators had a
free hand. They did not need to contact senior Ministry
of Education officers before suspending and expelling
errant students. All the forty headteachers were of the
opinion that use of suspension and expulsion as
sanctions was only effective when used sparingly,
consistently and objectively; and where these three
conditions were not met, these sanctions were not
effective at all.
Corporal Punishment
During the interviews teachers alleged that outlawing of
the use of corporal punishment in schools in the year
2001 had seriously undermined the headteachers’ and
teachers’ authority over students. Ninety percent of the
teachers involved in the study argued that before being
banned, corporal punishment was rated as the most
effective disciplinary method in schools. Teachers
asserted that the ban had forced them to resort to
ineffective, undignified, ridiculing, humiliating and
dehumanizing methods like forcing errant students to
kneel on rough surfaces for long periods in front of
administration blocks, Figures 4, 5, 6), in the staffrooms, in the classrooms, pinching, smacking and
slapping. Notwithstanding the banning of corporal
punishment, teachers had defiantly continued to use
caning in schools either directly or indirectly (Figure 3).
Fifty percent of teachers and twenty five percent of
prefects in the schools where corporal punishment was
practiced indicated that headteachers had entered into
agreement with parents in the unabated use. For
instance there were cases where parents were
convinced to administer it in schools in the presence of
teachers in the deputy headteachers’ offices. This
approach was not effective in managing student
discipline because students reacted to it angrily. This
was because they were aware that it was illegal. The
reactions to this approach included physical attacks on
teachers, prefects and arson in situations where
students had decided to revenge as in (Figures 7, 13,
17, 14, 17, 18 and 19). Furthermore, this study found
out that in fifty percent of schools that were involved in
180 Educ. Res.
Figure 8. President Moi inspects the “death chamber” in
which 19 girls perished during the orgy of violence at St.
Kizito Secondary School.
Figure 9. The Headmaster of St. Kizito school, Mr. James
Laibon, explains the tragedy to President Moi. The MP for
Tigania, Mr. Mathew Adams Karauri (center) listens.
the study where caning was banned absolutely,
teachers were alleged to be operating in despair and
had abdicated their student discipline responsibilities
leaving them to the headteachers who could not cope.
Hence, the rise in school indiscipline. Notwithstanding
the ban of corporal punishment some teachers are still
applying it (Mutambo, 2012).
Guidance and counselling
This study found out that fifty percent of the prefects
and twenty five percent of teachers in forty schools
involved in the study perceived guidance and
counselling services in schools negatively as a waste of
time and ineffective. It was argued that guidance and
counselling usually evoked images of individuals with
mental problems who needed professional guidance
and counselling to help them lead normal life. Fifty
percent of the prefects perceived guidance and
counselling as an option taken by those who could not
solve their own problems or were overwhelmed by the
world around them. Most students hardly considered
counselling to help them solve problems as an option.
This was particularly for those who showed signs of
emotional and behavioural difficulties. One of the
prefects in fact put it blatantly that many students
considered counselling as a service sought by the
mentally ill. Counselling, contrary to the commonly held
belief, is meant for all persons as it covers a whole
range of human feelings and spirit. Even counsellors
need counselling.
Seventy five percent of the headteachers involved in
the study stated that in most schools only a small
number of the students turn out for counselling even
after a tragedy has occurred like the St. Kizito
Secondary school, Nyeri High School, Kyanguli
Secondary school cases in which students lost lives
and properties were destroyed (Figures 8, to 18). Poor
school and Kenya National Examination Council
examination results, transfer of popular teachers,
cancelled Kenya National Examination Council
examination results, bereavement, arson, rape, violent
robbery experienced by students were other tragedies
that
needed counselling.
Notwithstanding the
importance of counseling, (Republic of Kenya, 2001c)
Simatwa 181
Figure 10. President Moi talks to some of the injured
students at the Tigania Mission Hospital. With them are
the Doctor in-charge of the hospital, and the matron.
Figure 11. A difficult moment for a parent after the St. Kizito
Mixed Secondary School tragedy.
Figure 12. The dormitory where the rampaging boys left 19
girls dead at St. Kizito mixed School
Figure 13. Overwhelmed: Parents overcome by emotion after
seeing their son, one of the four Nyeri High School students
burnt in the dormitory cubicle
182 Educ. Res.
Figure 14. Relatives and friends weep at the burial of Nyeri
High School prefect Anthony Kariuki at Gatuamba village
Nyeri. Three students were charged with his murder.
Figure 15. A weeping mother being assisted by sympathizers,
following the Kyanguli Secondary school tragedy.
Figure 16. Mass grave: at Kyanguli Secondary School where
most of the dead students were buried in the compound
many students tended to react with denial after an
emotional tragedy as if nothing had happened. Ninety
percent of the headteachers involved in the study
argued that some students were used to solving their
own problems without seeking outside help, and when
they could not handle them they pretended they never
happened and tried to blank out the problems. In fact
they did not want to be reminded of what happened or
had happened to them. Such students who avoided
talking about their feelings down, as the days went by
the grief was repressed and not expressed. This was a
negative reaction to any trauma or problem. The grief
must be expressed in one way or another and if not
channelled positively, the reaction could turn out to be
disastrous. The anger has to be released in one way or
another or the expression can turn out to be violent.
For instance after the Nyeri High School incident more
schools experienced cases of petrol bombing and
arson. Constant nightmares seemed to have plagued
some students countrywide, many of them had opted to
commit arson or brutally injure prefects (Figures 15, 19).
Post-traumatic stress disorders usually take place
after a short while as a result of a buildup of repressed
emotions. It can start with a headache, cramps and
Simatwa 183
Figure 17. David Ouma (pseudonym) (left) and Charles Ngumba
(pseudonym) in a Nairobi Court where they were charged with
murder of their 67 colleagues at Kyanguli Secondary School,
Machakos.
Figure 18. Bishop is overcome by emotion at Kyanguli
Mixed School in Machakos yesterday, where he
conducted a service to mark the first anniversary of the
63 students who perished in a dormitory fire.
Figure 19. Day students at Moyo (pseudonym) Boys High School
inspecting the remains of their head teacher’s house. It was burnt by
boarders, about 1,200 of whom dispeared from the school after the
incident in which it is alleged, they threatened to kill the head teacher
because of his high handness
backaches. If the stress is left untreated it can lead to
madness. People, students inclusive, can only hold
back their emotions for so long, but eventually it has to
burst. That is why there is need for debriefing to help
people get in touch with their feelings; otherwise they
go out of control. In a nutshell, this study found out that
184 Educ. Res.
guidance and counseling as a method of student
discipline management makes one aware of the
problem and opens out one’s options on what can be
done to correct the problem. In addition it creates a
support system where one can understand the problem
and other people’s behavior. It also helps one to
understand why the other party did whatever they did;
as were the cases of Nyeri High School, Kyanguli High
School, Sang’alo Institute of Technology and St. Kizito
Secondary School. Most important of all counseling
helps one to grasp his or her anger, understand why it
is there and how best they can channel it. Ninety
percent of the headteachers indicated that, this method
was effective where students were mature and
understood the value of schooling and education.
Physical punishment
The findings on use of physical punishment indicated
that a hundred percent of headteachers involved in the
study allowed use of physical punishment in the
management of student discipline in their secondary
schools in the County. Nevertheless, a hundred percent
of the headteachers indicated that most students defied
physical punishment, that is, being slapped, smacked,
kneeling and being pinched. In fact it was forcing some
students out of school. The study found out that fifty
percent of the teachers administer physical punishment
routinely, arbitrarily and brutally. Severe physical
punishment was a violation of human rights,
constitutional rights, children’s Act 2001 and the penal
code (Republic of Kenya, 2001b) (Republic of Kenya
1985) particularly when it caused bodily harm and
mental torture. There are many instances where
physical punishment has been abused by teachers as
in (Figures 4, 5 and 6). Some students react by
attacking teachers physically and other students go on
strike terming it high handedness as in (Figure 19). The
long-term adverse effects of physical punishments
outweigh the benefits. Although the application of
physical punishment may take less than a minute, its
effects may last for years and could affect the school,
community and the society arising from the violence it
prompts among students. The findings of the study
indicated that fifty percent of the headteachers involved
in the study were of the view that physical punishment
was cruel and degrading and did affect the physical and
psychological well being of the students. Physical
punishment made a lasting impression on the minds of
all students who witnessed physical punishment in the
classroom or anywhere else and might have been
detrimental to their relationships with teachers, parents
and others in authority.
Rewards and Punishments used together
The findings on rewards and punishment used together
revealed that all the forty Headteachers involved in the
study used this approach in the management of student
discipline in the county. They also stated that behaviour
that was rewarded tended to be repeated. In the
classroom this basic principle was often expressed as:
positive feedback, behaviour modification and assertive
discipline. This approach required teachers to have a
strategy that focused on the students’ here-and-now
actions with only those behaviors’ that were visible and
could be recorded objectively when used in managing
discipline. To focus on the positive aspects of
professional practice was more rewarding for teachers
than focusing on punishments and threats. In the
headteachers’ view, there seemed to be contradiction
between engaging students in the process of learning
and threatening to punish them if they were disruptive.
In practice, however teachers used rewards and praise
and where necessary, punishments and threats.
Headteachers were found to be realistic in their
expectations of the students and placed more emphasis
on rewards and encouragement than on blame and
accusations. Head teachers were ready to learn from
colleagues and students; they were receptive to
changing environments and new approach. Overall
teachers indicated that they were fair and consistent in
using reward and punishment to instill discipline in to
students.
Interviews with all the forty headteachers and two
hundred teachers involved in the study revealed that
basically rewards and punishments, that is; verbal
approval,
tangible
rewards,
earned
points,
commendations,
suspension,
kneeling
and
reprimanding and detention. The problem with
punishment was that, while it could reduce the limit of
the indiscipline, it did not necessarily create productive
discipline. Punishment can be a double-edged sword
because of students’ desire for attention. Thus students
may also become heroes to their peers for being
reprimanded in class. The study also revealed that the
choice and manner in which a pattern of rewards and
punishment was implemented needed careful
consideration by all teachers in the school. Seventy five
percent of the headteachers interviewed indicated that
they had found this method to be effective in
establishing and maintaining student discipline in most
schools. It was for this reason that most headteachers
used this method by choice.
Dress Code and Curriculum Instruction
The survey found that all the forty headteachers who
were involved in the study considered use of school
uniform and proper management of curriculum
instruction as effective strategies that enhanced student
discipline in secondary schools. They emphasized that
everyday use of school uniform influenced positively the
success of discipline policies in schools by; discouraging
Simatwa 185
student misbehavior, as they could be easily identified,
providing self-appraisal, as students uphold the
perception of their worth, promoting the students’ need
for upholding the good image of the school,
encouraging maximum use of learning time as they
were constantly reminded that basically they were
learners in schools and outside schools, motivating
students to serve as good ambassadors of the school,
enhancing sensible and orderly behaviour, encouraging
students to learn in a clean, safe and secure
environment, promoting students to learn and let others
learn, encouraging students to treat others equally and
with respect, encouraging students to respect the
school and the property of others reminding students
that failure to adhere to school rules and regulations
could lead to punishment and reminding students that
cleanliness is next to godliness.
The headteachers contended that a well-planned and
executed school curriculum with relevant activities could
be the most effective deterrent measure to disruptive
behaviour among students. In their view, a curriculum
must be challenging, rewarding and appropriate to
students’ age, ability and intellectual development. Thus
a class could become difficult if the curriculum was
demeaning or devaluing. They noted that a teacher
being a skilled manager of learning, should have the
ability to plan, select and arrange stimulating learning
activities. Planning appropriate learning activities for
students was the central skill of teaching. When
assessing the appropriateness of the curriculum, it was
important for a teacher to be able to predict students’
responses to work, pacing of work and all aspects of
student behaviour. In practice teachers needed to be
consistent in the expectations of their students. To
school management, the curriculum and student
behaviour had a direct relationship, teachers were to
think in terms of the whole curriculum and work closely
with other schools for mutual support. The successful
management of the curriculum: planning, delivery,
monitoring and evaluation, were vital for ensuring a
positive response from all students. They asserted that
all teachers were to be committed to teaching and take
the education of all students seriously in order to
improve and maintain student discipline. The essential
ingredients of the curriculum, schemes of work and
pedagogy, were all relevant to the management of
discipline in schools. Critically important was the way in
which a teacher presented a lesson and the lesson’s
suitability for the students’ ability levels, age and
interests. Teachers needed to consider the balance
between written and practical work, student
participation and teaching. All the forty headteachers
involved in the study emphasized that management of
the curriculum should, as with all matters in school, be
negotiated. Teachers should not feel pressured into
teaching material that they are uncomfortable with. In
their view, all participants in the classroom should have
a shared understanding of the purpose of each lesson.
Teaching and learning should be meaningful and
relevant to teacher and student experiences, past,
present or future. Students need to be excited by the
curriculum, and it is essential that teachers do not
become bored by a repetitive curriculum that lacks
direction and cohesion.
A creative approach to
teaching was to be tempered by the need for students
to learn. Students need to be stimulated by the
curriculum and not just learn to sit still in lessons.
Successive lessons involving similar activities could
contribute to discipline problems. The context of the
curriculum – how the school approached the central
task of curriculum planning and the organization and
delivery of learning was critical to effective teaching.
Balance and coherence was essential.
The study revealed that curriculum problems, content
and delivery, needed to be managed collaboratively.
Discipline problems could be overcome through the
introduction of remedial measures introduced into the
curriculum. Teachers and curriculum planners needed
to understand that there were students who did not
learn as expected and that they needed special
interventions. The meaning and application of
remediation needed to be understood by teachers in
order that it became effective curriculum tool to assist
students with identified learning and behavioural
problems. Methods of motivating students, remediation
and special support needed to be developed,
implemented, monitored and evaluated. Collaboration
was the key to curriculum management and ultimately
student discipline management.
Detention
The survey found out that, fifty percent of the
headteachers used detention as a form of punishment
in their secondary schools. They however noted that,
for detention to be used effectively the following factors
were to be born in mind; the parents/guardians of the
student were informed in advance and they agreed to
such a form of punishment, the work was to be lawful
and within the ability of the student, the degree of
severity of the indiscipline, there was no other effective
alternative punishment for the offence committed and
whether the punishment would adversely affect the
normal functioning of other students in the school.
Furthermore, students on detention were required to
perform some task in the classroom or in the school
grounds. That is, it was either academic work or manual
work. Whichever the task, it was important that a
teacher properly supervised all the work.
Poor
supervision negated its effects on the undisciplined
students.
186 Educ. Res.
Manual labour
The survey found out that seventy five percent the
headteachers who were involved used manual labour
as a sanction for instilling discipline in students in
secondary schools. They argued that for manual labour
to be effective, as a sanction, the following factors were
to be considered; The age of the student in relation to
the task, health status of the student, time available (it
was not be done during class time), lawfulness of the
task (young persons were not be subjected to daunting
tasks), degree of severity of the misconduct, the
frequency of its occurrence and the likelihood of it
recurring; the student’s previous indiscipline record at
that school. All the forty headteachers contended that,
for manual labour to serve as a corrective measure, it
had to commensurate with the misconduct or offence
committed and was to be administered over the
weekend so that students’ learning was not interfered
with. This was referred to as “working parties” as the
case was in some schools. Moreover weak students
found working during class hours pleasurable while
others found it heroic. In this case such a sanction
promoted rather than deterred the misconduct. Overall
this study revealed that there were no simple methods
of managing student discipline in schools because
student discipline is a complex issue. Methods of
managing student discipline alone were not of any
consequence. Critically, of great importance was the
clearly stated acceptable behaviour and teachers
responding promptly and firmly to students who tested
the acceptable behaviour. To manage student discipline
effectively, headteachers and teachers took a lead in
developing school strategies for promoting good
behavior. In this case tested and proven methods of
student discipline management were employed. There
were factors that were important in the application of
these methods. For instances, teachers were to be
effective classroom managers. This meant that
teachers should be practically trained in courses related
to motivating and managing students and dealing with
those who challenged authority. In the headteachers’
view in-service courses should be offered to refine
classroom management skills and to develop patterns
of mutual support among colleagues. The quality of
external environment was also very important as was
school internal environment. Headteachers argued that
to manage student discipline effectively, schools should
have the best relationships with parents. The school’s
student discipline guidelines should be communicated
fully and clearly to parents. When this is put in place
parents have a responsibility to provide their children
with appropriate and firm guidance and positive models
through their behaviour. In which case the parents
Teachers Associations would recognize themselves as
a means of creating both formal and informal channels
of communication about discipline. They noted that,
Boards of Governors were important in the
development and monitoring of school discipline policy
and appointment of staff, especially that of the
headteacher and for the methods and strategies of
student discipline to succeed the Board of Governors
and Provincial Education Authorities must be actively
involved. All the forty headteachers involved in the
study contended that the District Education Authorities
and Provincial Education Authorities should develop
management systems to target consultancy and
support services for schools with difficulty.
The Headteachers noted that, the fact that whereas
certain methods were effective in student discipline
management, other methods were ineffective. Hence it
had been recommended that schools were to develop
guidelines on ranges of sanctions and strategies of
managing student discipline in schools (Republic of
Kenya, 1980). The legislation and guidelines were
intended to help schools maintain good behaviour and
discipline by using effective methods. The government
had provided guidelines on effective methods through
legislation legal notices 40/1972 and 56/2001 contained
in the Education Act Cap 211 and the government
policy document known as a manual for Heads of
Secondary schools. All schools were adhering to these
guidelines, though some schools were not adhering to
them to the letter. The aims of these guidelines and
legislations were to; help schools to manage student
behaviour
effectively,
encourage
whole-school
approach to management of student discipline in
schools, promote firm action against all forms of
indiscipline, like bullying, truancy, physical fights and so
on and reduce indiscipline cases which can lead to
students being excluded from schools either temporarily
or permanently.
All the forty headteachers involved in the study noted
that the Ministry of Education’s guidelines emphasized
the need for the school administration to adhere to the
school vision, mission and motto, which mattered within
the school and in the surrounding community. The
guidelines in a nutshell stress the importance of a whole
school discipline policy that reflects the role of the
school in ensuring that students grow into responsible
adults, thus benefiting the society as a whole. The
guidelines give details on the roles and responsibilities
of schools, headteachers, teachers Provincial
Education Authority, Board of Governors and prefects in
relation to management of student discipline. The
guidelines had recommended that school rules were to
set the boundaries of acceptable behaviour and that
these were to be known and understood by all students.
The rules and regulations were to be developed by the
headteacher together with the teachers. Each school
rule had to; have a purpose which is clear both to staff
and students, possible to enforce and beneficial to the
community. The headteachers emphasized that school
rules had to be prominently displayed in each
classroom and in the staffroom. Once every term the
head teacher had to read the school rules to a full
Simatwa 187
school assembly. Essentially the rules should
encourage respect for others and self. The Ministry of
Education had recommended a formal dress code for
students in order to enhance the status of the school
within the community and considered the role of the
headteacher to be central to the school in determining
measures to; promote regard to authority among
students, encourage good behaviour and respect for
others among students, ensure that the standard of
behaviour is acceptable and regulate the conduct of
students.
The study found out that all the forty headteachers
were aware that the legislation and guidelines stated
that the headteacher should involve the Board of
Governors on major offences. Importantly the power to
confirm or terminate suspension and expel a student
from the school was exercisable only by the Education
secretary. The study found out that, effective teachers
operated under clearly understood rules, gave clear
presentations, had clear work requirements for
students, gave clear instructions, handled misbehavior
quickly and calmly, ensured that work was appropriate
to students’ abilities, set clear goals, started and ended
lessons on time and minimized interruptions. Critically,
teachers should be able to feel that their work to
maintain discipline in the class takes place within the
framework of the school’s overall discipline policy.
Headteachers should provide support for teachers, and
teachers should not be blamed for failures in
maintaining good order.
CONCLUSION
Infractions experienced in secondary schools in
Bungoma County were: Noise making, vandalism of
school property, drug abuse, drug sale, theft,
absenteeism,
sneaking,
disobedience,
lying,
possession of weapons other than firearms, possession
of inflammable substances, physical attacks, fighting,
lateness, indecency, bullying, sexual harassment,
negligence of class work and assignments and unrest.
Disciplinary methods that were used in establishing and
maintaining student discipline in secondary schools in
Bungoma County were: Expulsion, suspension,
corporal punishment by parents, corporal punishment
by teachers, verbal reprimand, smacking, detention,
Kneeling, guidance and counselling, rewarding good
conduct, fining, self commitment to maintain good
conduct and manual labour.
The process of managing student discipline in
schools should start with the identification of the type of
students enrolled in schools. It is only when the
personal psychological make up of the students is
known that one can devise the appropriate methods of
managing them to the desirable standard. In and out of
school, students like any other person exhibit either
Type behaviour or Type ‘B’ behaviour at any one given
time (Mosley, Megginson and Pietri, 2001). Some
students, however, consistently exhibit particular type of
behaviour, either Type ‘A’ behaviour or Type ‘B’
behaviour. Consequently, the management of student
discipline in schools model (Figure 1) illustrates how
student discipline could be managed in schools.
Students, who exhibit Type ‘A’ behaviour tend to be
disruptive, lack patience, are irrational and are
susceptible to emotional outbursts. Such students are
likely to commit minor infractions, major violations and
intolerable offences. The model asserts that disciplinary
procedures using graduated penalties can be used to
manage Type behaviour as follows: When minor
infractions are committed the students can be warned
and guided by surrogate fathers and mothers. Where
this corrective measure is not effective the second
Action is to warn the student in the presence of the
Deputy Headteacher. However, if the student fails to
change positively, the deputy headteacher can
reprimand him in writing. Failure to hit the school’s
expectations the student’s infractions become major
violations.
The model prescribes that major violations can be
dealt with as follows: First the offenders should be
summoned to the headteacher’s office for reprimanding,
punishment and counselling. If they do not hit these
corrective measures, the second action is to exclude
them from school up to five days plus written warning
and a letter summoning both parents to accompany the
student back to school at the end of the five days. The
student should be punished and counseled. Where
there is no positive change, the third action is to treat
the case as an intolerable offence.
Intolerable offences are grave and the action against
the offenders is to exclude them from school indefinitely
and convene a Board of Governors committee meeting
within fourteen days to deal with the matter. The
recommended punishments for intolerable offences are
suspensions and expulsions. If the student is
readmitted to the same school appropriate punishment
should be prescribed and administered other than
caning or corporal punishment (Republic of Kenya,
2001a). Students who exhibit Type ‘B’ behavior tend to
be calmer, are more realistic than Type A behaviour in
their reactions and actions. Type ‘B’ students’ discipline
can be enhanced by instilling into them self-discipline.
Consequently, the model proposes that student friendly
methods like self-control promotion approach, which
involves motivation and positive reinforcement of
desirable behaviors’, and due process approach should
be used to promote discipline. Thus deviant behaviour
should be corrected immediately it is noticed and good
behaviour encouraged accordingly. Due process
enhances discipline by guaranteeing the student
accused of violating an established rule a hearing to
determine the extent of guilt. Essentially the following
conditions ensure that a student receives justice in the
form of due process: Rules and regulations exist, there
188 Educ. Res.
are specific, fixed penalties for violating the rules with
progressive degrees in the severity of penalties and
penalties are imposed only after a hearing has been
conducted for the accused at which time the extent of
guilt is determined. In the light of this conceptual
framework, student discipline management calls for
different functional methods, most of which should be
student friendly to guard against tendency for revenge
by students. Operationally, where student friendly
methods fail suitable corrective methods must just be
applied, namely suspension and expulsion.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In light of the findings and conclusions of this study the
following recommendations were made for the
improvement of management of student discipline in
secondary schools.
The study found that corporal punishment, kneeling,
heavy manual labour, slapping and smacking were
humiliating, demeaning and degrading disciplinary
methods. In this regard, this study made the following
recommendations:
The ban on corporal punishment should be enforced to
the letter by school administrations.
Heavy manual labour, kneeling, slapping and smacking
to be outlawed.
Legal education be included in teacher education
curriculum.
The study found that suspension and expulsion were
traumatizing and cumbersome to administer on erring
students. In light of this, this study made the following
recommendations:
Boards of Governors and Provincial Education
Authorities should be given authority to deal with cases
of suspension and expulsion determinatively.
Expelled students should be transferred to rehabilitation
centre’s forthwith for rehabilitation so that their
education is not curtailed.
Suspension and expulsion should be used to deal with
major and intolerable infractions like drug abuse, drug
sale, rape, robbery, indecency and cases of gay and
lesbianism.
The study found that the following disciplinary methods
(verbal reprimand, light manual labour, detention,
guidance and counselling, self commitment in writing to
maintain good conduct, fining and wearing of school
uniform at all times) when used responsibly were
acceptable and effective in the management of student
discipline in secondary schools. In light of this, the
following recommendations were made:
The following disciplinary methods; verbal reprimand,
light manual labour, detention, guidance and
counseling, self commitment in writing to maintain good
conduct, fining and wearing of school uniform at all
times should be used in secondary schools without
exception
The disciplinary methods imposed should be
administered by teachers and not prefects in all
circumstances for the improvement on their
effectiveness
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