Sadness and uncertainty engulfed Giakanja Boys High School in Nyeri on the morning of Monday, July 21, as parents arrived to pick up their children following a decision by the school administration to expel a number of students.
The move came after a wave of unrest rocked the school a few days earlier, with students reportedly demanding a new Scania bus, refusing to sit for exams, and chanting “one term” slogans.
Parents, visibly distressed and helpless, left the school compound with their children and all their belongings, unsure of what the future holds. Many expressed shock over the expulsion, especially since students had only recently been sent home on July 10 under strict conditions for re-admission.
According to the administration, the students were to return in phases ; Form Four students on Thursday, and Form Three students on Friday. However, prior to re-entry, each parent was required to settle all outstanding fees, while every student had to fill out an anonymous, open-ended questionnaire detailing the events leading to the unrest and what transpired during the weekend in question.
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James, a parent at the school, revealed that it is this questionnaire that informed the school’s decision to expel some of the students ; most of whom were in Form Three. He noted a steady rise in indiscipline cases and claimed that the administration had been grappling with controlling student behavior in recent months.
The Ministry of Education discourages expulsion as a first resort, instead recommending the use of guidance and counseling, suspension, and other corrective measures to address student misconduct. Expulsion is only advised in cases of severe and persistent indiscipline, and schools are required to follow a transparent process, informing the student of the reason for expulsion, offering them a chance to be heard, and allowing for an appeal.
By Joyline Chebet
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