This past week, I served as a Teacher on Duty (TOD) in a boarding school. It was a routine assignment on paper, one that I have undertaken many times during my teaching career. Yet unlike previous duty weeks, this one was overshadowed by a growing sense of apprehension.
Across the country, reports of student unrest, dormitory fires, vandalism, and school strikes have become disturbingly common. Almost every day seems to bring news of another institution grappling with destruction, investigations, and disrupted learning.
For many people outside the education sector, the Teacher on Duty is simply another teacher assigned additional responsibilities. However, those who have served in the role understand that a TOD occupies a unique and strategic position within the school. The teacher is expected to monitor students’ welfare, supervise daily routines, respond to emergencies, maintain discipline, and ensure that school programmes run smoothly. During the duty week, the teacher becomes the eyes and ears of the administration.
In the current climate, however, the role increasingly feels like standing on the frontline of a potential crisis.
Heightened vigilance
Throughout the week, I found myself paying closer attention to details that might otherwise have passed unnoticed. Small gatherings of students sparked curiosity. Unusual movements around the compound attracted attention. Casual conversations among learners seemed worthy of closer observation. A delayed response to routine instructions prompted questions.
This heightened vigilance was not born out of paranoia but from awareness. Recent events have shown that school unrest often develops quietly. The warning signs are rarely dramatic. A grievance left unresolved, a rumour spreading through dormitories, growing dissatisfaction, or the influence of a few disgruntled students can gradually create an atmosphere ripe for conflict.
By the time visible signs emerge, the situation may already be approaching a breaking point.
Responsibility without control
One of the greatest challenges for a Teacher on Duty is that responsibility and control do not always go hand in hand.
A teacher may be held accountable for maintaining order, yet possess limited power to address the underlying causes of student dissatisfaction. A teacher can monitor behaviour, enforce rules, and report concerns, but cannot single-handedly solve issues related to overcrowding, resource constraints, adolescent frustrations, social pressures, or wider societal influences that learners bring into school.
As I reflected on my duties during the week, one thought repeatedly crossed my mind: if an incident were to occur during my watch, what would become of the Teacher on Duty?
A witness, a victim, or a person under scrutiny
The answer is both simple and unsettling.
The Teacher on Duty can easily become a witness.
Should students engage in acts of destruction, violence, or arson, the TOD is often among the first individuals called upon to provide an account of events. Investigators want timelines. Administrators seek explanations. Parents demand answers. The media searches for information. Every movement observed, every concern reported, and every decision made suddenly becomes significant.
The Teacher on Duty can also become a victim.
School unrest rarely affects buildings alone. Teachers may find themselves exposed to danger while attempting to calm students or protect school property. They may suffer physical injuries, emotional trauma, threats, intimidation, or loss of personal belongings. The psychological burden can be immense.
Yet perhaps the most difficult reality is that the Teacher on Duty can become a subject of scrutiny.
Whenever a school experiences a serious incident, legitimate questions arise. Were there warning signs? Were procedures followed? Was sufficient supervision provided? Could the incident have been prevented?
Such questions are necessary because accountability matters. However, they can place enormous pressure on a teacher who may already be struggling to process events.
The distinction between being responsible and being blamed can sometimes become blurred.
The need for prevention and support
This reality reflects a broader challenge facing the teaching profession. Schools today operate in an increasingly complex environment. Learners face academic pressures, social media influences, mental health challenges, peer pressure, and rapidly changing social expectations.
At the same time, institutions grapple with limited resources, overcrowding, and heightened public scrutiny.
The solution does not lie in assigning blame whenever unrest occurs. Rather, it requires a collective commitment to prevention. Schools need stronger guidance and counselling programmes. Student leadership structures should be empowered to raise concerns before frustrations escalate. Administrators must cultivate open communication and trust. Parents should remain actively involved in the lives of their children.
Equally important is the need to rethink teacher safety. Teachers on duty require training in crisis management, conflict de-escalation, and emergency response procedures. Schools should have clear protocols defining responsibilities during emergencies.
A vulnerable position
As my duty week came to an end, I felt relieved that it had passed peacefully. Yet the experience left me reflecting on the vulnerability of teachers serving in today’s schools. Behind every duty roster is a teacher carrying significant responsibility, often with little recognition of the risks involved.
When students burn a school, public attention naturally focuses on the destruction. Investigators search for answers. Communities demand accountability. News headlines tell the story of what happened.
But somewhere in the middle of that story stands the Teacher on Duty, a person who may suddenly find themselves navigating circumstances far beyond their control.
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In the unfortunate event that students burn a school, a Teacher on Duty can easily end up as a witness, a victim, a culprit in the court of public opinion, or a person of interest to the police. That is the uncomfortable reality many teachers now live with whenever they report for duty.
By Ashford Kimani
Ashford teaches English and Literature in Gatundu North Sub-county and writes on education, youth development, and social affairs.
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