KENYA: Catholic Bishops’ Message on the Wave of Unrest in Schools 

1. Concerns

We, the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Kenya join with other interested parties in expressing our grave concern at the wave of violence and unrest in secondary schools. This unrest is not confined to any particular part of the country, it is a national problem. The extent of violence and destruction of property is a clear sign of how much our society has deteriorated in values and sense of responsibility.

The violence we are witnessing in secondary schools will not be solved by fake promises and unworkable strategies. It will be solved by practical measures which enhance, define and make concrete the role of those who make up the school structure. These include: Boards, PTA’s, principles, deputy heads, the school sponsors, teachers, prefects, support staff, parents and the community where the school is situated.

The Kenya Episcopal Conference express sympathy to family and friends of Abdi Noor, a former student of Upper Hill High school who died in a fire at the school’s dormitory on Saturday morning as he tried to rescue his colleague. This was a courageous act. May his soul Rest in Peace.

2. The causes of violence and unrest in Secondary schools

The causes of the present violence and unrest are many but the most important ones are: 

i) The trauma experienced by the country during the recent ethnic disturbances. ii) Lack of political responsibility. Students are imitating what the adults and their parents did in January and February this year during the post-election violence. iii) Ineffective inspection system of the Ministry of Education. iv) The perception that guidance and counselling will solve all problems.

v) Education has been equated with schooling (just going to school). vi) Lack of religious and pastoral influences in some schools. vii) Lack of moral and value formation. viii) Lack of a spirit of forgiveness and tolerance. ix) The moral, social and spiritual needs of the students are ignored. x) Lack of a sense of responsibility among students.

xi) Lack of parental guidance and control. The contact hours between children and their parents are few as many parents do not want them at home.

xii) The home life styles of students from different family backgrounds and status is transferred to schools (rich verses the poor).

xiii) The 2007 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) irregularities have contributed to students lose of interest in studying hard.

xiv) Too much emphasis on subjects that do not inculcate values, life skills and a sense of responsibility in students.

xv) Discontent because students feel they do not belong to the community.

xvi) The students feel that they do not own the schools hence do not value it.

xvii) Students have little or no time at all to socialize with other students.

xviii) Indiscipline with impunity.

xix) An exam-oriented curriculum which considers those who have failed exams useless.

xx) Blame and disrespect towards the head teachers and teachers.

xxi) Most schools do not give hope to students about their future.

xxii) Fear and uncertainty of unemployment in the future may also be a contributing factor.

xxiii) Some principals act independently of other stakeholders.

xxiv) Teachers have no time for students because they have other things to pay attention to e.g. their businesses.

xxv) Discipline has been left to the heads/principals and deputies as the other teachers are more concerned with attaining grades.

xxvi) Cultural values which are not being transmitted by the parents the way they used to be i.e. respect for elders and authority.

xxvii) Some Kenyans seem to have no respect for authority and cherish destruction.

xxviii) Over stretching of school facilities and personnel.

xxix) Tuition has removed the holiday periods.

xxx) Drug and substance abuse.

xxxi) The media, which highlight the problems/negatives without giving solutions.

3. The Role of The Sponsors

Regretfully, the role of the sponsor has been weakened:

a) This is diluting the role of the sponsors who are now sponsoring educational institutions only in name. Sponsors must wake up to their responsibilities of moulding the school community into a unit where morals, responsibility and obligations are the most important elements in the education of the child.

Sponsorship has been sidelined in practical terms i.e. the non –consultation in the appointment and deployment of heads/ deputies.

b) Sponsors must be nationally minded rather than ethnically minded and must not use the school as a place of cohesive proselytization. The sponsor should be clear about the rules and regulations that promote the moral character of the students. They should create the necessary atmosphere which allows the professional teachers to do their job.

c) The traditions of the sponsor are weak in most schools.

d) Some sponsors do not assist the teachers to grow academically and professionally. In addition, some clergy and religious involvement in the school activities especially spiritual formation, pastoral care and pastoral counselling has been weakened.

e) Some sponsors do not know their roles properly. This goes beyond the teaching of CRE and PPI.

f) Many schools do not have chaplains especially those who understand the young people (students). 

g) There is an over-emphasis on material secularism at the expense of character formation.

h) Meaningful prayers are not part and parcel of the school life.

i) Dress code has been eroded.

4. The Role of Parents Teachers Associations (PTA)

Its role has just been to collect money and for the most part, the PTA never discusses the teaching and the moral behaviour of the students. It should be a forum for honest appraisal of the school by both teachers and parents. It should be the forum which produces the agenda for the Board of Governors.

5. The Role of the Principal/Head Teachers

The principal and the deputy are the key posts of the education structure. 

They must be professionally competent and follow the structures laid down by the Ministry of Education.

They must actively co-opt the teachers to help them run the schools. They must be in touch with the feelings of the students and the feelings of the parents of the students.

At the moment, they are overworked and suffering from stress because many feel if they raise issues they will lose their jobs or get transferred vindictively. They often feel that they do not have the support of the parents, or indeed of the Ministry of Education officials. They are responsible for maintaining the rules and regulations but it is regrettable that the rules seem to change with the students.

In some places there are two sets of rules, for the haves and for the have-not. They do not get respect from the political establishment either nationally or locally. The principals are plagued with anonymous letters, rumours and innuendo: “the principal is building a house using school money”. Some students/parents want their home life transferred to school. A head who does not agree is then threatened with “the Must Go” slogan by leaders.

When principals send students home to collect school fees parents send the students back saying that it is against the government policy to send students home. The result is that the principals/head teacher is constantly worried about how s/he is going to feed and equip the school. The disgruntled teachers, support staff and parents use the student to make life more difficult for the principal and head teachers.

6. Role of Students

The school is established to educate the students and not vice versa. They must be disciplined leading to self-discipline as individual students and not coerced. Rules once passed by the Board and explained to the students must be implemented. For instance, in one district, every student is aware that if they “sneak out of school they are expelling themselves (self expulsion).

Therefore, students know the consequence if they leave the school compound without permission. This rule has also been explained to the parents/guardians and thus sneaking is very infrequent in that district.

Students should not be used by disgruntled teachers to fight their cases with the head teachers or education authorities. Neither should they be used by members of the support staff for real or imaginary revenge. Statements by students should be analyzed thoroughly before action is taken against any student.

The excuse by students that Mock examinations are hard and scary does not hold water. Examinations have been there and will continue being done at various levels. Lack of a sense of responsibility and hard work among the students need to be addressed. All have to be accountable and responsible.

7. The Trauma caused by The Post-Election Violence

Many of the students particularly in form 3 were and are used to create havoc. Their moral responsibility was totally killed. They burnt houses, saw other people running away, children falling from tiredness, hunger and thirst for water. They became immune from any feeling of humanity. They regard their deeds as successful when they saw people being killed, maimed and property being destroyed. What we are witnessing now is the result of this demonization of moral responsibility.

They were not reprimanded by the parents or the elders. In fact, they were regarded as heroes. When the students returned to school, they went with the idea that to be successful and a hero they need to disrupt and destroy the system. This is particularly true of students of:

a) Limited ability

b) Poor backgrounds 

c) Rich backgrounds

d) Homes where no discipline exists

Parents blame the school and yet it is their primary responsibility to look after their children. Many parents side with the children and treat principals and teachers as the “enemies”

8. The Law Court

The court seems to treat all children as innocent victims and teachers as the offenders. Teachers are afraid of what will happen and shy away from anything that may bring them to the notice of the law.

A crime is a crime and must be punished accordingly. The law should be applied effectively.

9. Mobile Phones

The advent of the mobile phone is the catalyst for current strikes being experienced in schools. Students communicate to each other about what they have done, what they are doing and what intend to do through the mobiles phones. Other students want to emulate and surpass those who have already gone on strike. Relationships and communication through mobile phones between the students and the outside school world may be between students and in-disciplined persons. Sim cards need to be banned.

Society as a whole has suffered a great deterioration and this has been accelerated to a large extent by the mobile phones. Mobile phones are also being used to plan strikes.

10. The Role of the Media

Except the days when results are announced, the media tends to provide a constant diet of the bad or evil things in education. Pictures of burnt dormitories are common and misdemeanours of teachers are exaggerated.

The media needs to teach the students to be calm, responsible and avoid highlighting too many of the negative happenings in schools.

9. THE WAY FORWARD

Students

• Students involved in destruction of school property and gross indiscipline must be excluded from the school for at least one year. They must not be admitted in others schools- private or public. After the period of suspension is over, they should only be readmitted in the same school. The punishment must suit the crime.

• A crime is a crime regardless of who commits it. Therefore, the law courts must treat criminal cases by students with the seriousness they deserve and mete punishment equivalent to the crime. Courts must be there for the good majority and not the minority.

Mobile phones 

• Mobile phones must be banned from the schools with immediate effect. All schools should have detectors for mobile phones, DVDs, Ipods, sim-cards, alcohol and other substances of abuse. Schools should facilitate communication between students and their parents/guardians when necessary.

Ministry of Education

• The ministry of education should be the guide of education rather than merely reacting to situations. The ministry has to take into consideration the opinion of all key players on matters pertaining to school management.

• There should be more frequent holistic school inspection. This demands availability of adequate and competent Quality Assurance and Standards personnel. A follow – up on the implementation of the recommendations must be done.

• As teachers and education officers are part of the society, they should listen to what the society is saying.

• The Ministry of Education should immediately get all previous recommendations from past Task Forces and Commissions on school’s unrest harmonize them and come up with final implementable guidelines. There is no need for another Taskforce or Commission.

• Money due to schools from both the Ministry and parents should be paid promptly and on time.

• It should be mandatory for the head teachers and principles to be given at least one month leave every year by the Ministry of Education.

• Kenya Education Staff Institute to facilitate refresher courses for serving head teachers and their deputies on new trends in management.

• There is dire need to immediately address the issue of the teacher-student ratio to ensure personalized attention.

• All teachers must undertake a continuous professional development to merit promotion.

• The transfer of teachers considered effective by the students should be explained to the students because they will definitely react if this is not done.

• The infrastructure is all schools should be standardized. Rules and regulations with regard to establishment of schools should be implemented by all.

Schools

• Every school should be a source of true learning rather than an adult nursery where students do not take full responsibility for their actions.

• Rules should be made with careful consideration and should be implemented independent of the status or the relationship of the students as well as their family background.

• School rules and regulations should be understood by all and implemented to the letter.

• The method of choosing prefects should involve the whole school.

Principals

• The multiple roles principals perform should be delegated to other teachers to make them more effective, available in school and increase their personal contact time with the students.

• Official time should be allocated in the time table for head teachers and principals to meet students once a week to discuss issues affecting them.

• Teachers have rights too and deserve respect from students, parents and the community they serve.

• The contracts for teachers should be clearly understood and specified.

Sponsors

• Students must be taught to be God fearing. The Ministry of Education needs to facilitate the enhancement of pastoral care in all schools. There is urgent need for the Ministry and the sponsors to revisit the basic philosophy of establishing each and every school.

• CRE should be compulsory in all Catholic schools in all classes.

• Every school should have a chaplain assigned to it.

• The church should take a lead in helping the situation by making its trained personnel available to both teachers and students.

Board of Governors

• BOGs should be empowered to run the schools decisively and ensure that students adhere to rules and regulations set without any one getting preferential treatment, e.g. rules regarding mobile phones, pocket money as well as abuse of drugs and other substances.

• Parents should collaborate with school management in signing school regulations which will empower the Board to take appropriate disciplinary action against students. This commitment letter must be signed before admission.

Politicians

• Politicians should give schools a rest.

• Everybody involved in education must say the truth and follow the truth without fear or favor. There should be openness with regard to use of school money by all with no exception.

Media

• Live coverage of school strikes should be discouraged. We appeal to the media to tone down negative coverage of events that encourage violence and emulation of activities among the students.

Conclusion

Finally, the Kenya Episcopal Conference sincerely appreciate the efforts of principals, students, BOGs and teachers from hundreds of schools across the country who have managed to continue with normal school activities and at the same time maintain discipline and peace.

Kenya cannot afford to lose a generation through irresponsibility and irrationality. 

Signed by Rt. Rev. Maurice Crowley, Bishop Chairman Commission for Education on July 23, 2008