Nyanza Regional Director of Education (RDE) has cautioned teachers against administering corporal punishments in schools as it is prohibited by the law.
Nelson Sifuna, the RDE, warned that any teacher who will be found culpable of imposing the punishments on learners will be arrested and prosecuted in a court of law.
“I call upon teachers to desist from the use of the cane but instead to apply other alternative methods of correcting their learners,” he said.
The director was speaking at Nyamira town after visiting different schools on a follow up of the widely reported cases of child abuse through the punishments in the region.
He asked teachers to embrace their professional approach in dealing with the learners rather than instilling fear in them.
“I want to make it clear here that the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools is not a leeway for teachers to exonerate students who violate school rules,” he said.
The director spoke with concern that his office had received numerous complaints about teachers from Nyamira and Kisii Counties meting out corporal punishment on pupils.
He cited the recent incident where a male teacher caned a grade four boy at Riang’ombe Primary School and another where two teachers injured a form four boy at Nyabisia Secondary School, adding that the suspects are in court answering to their cases.
Sifuna promised that his office will conduct different meetings in the region to sensitize teachers and parents on the risks involved in corporal punishment.
“My office has organized a sensitization programmes to be rolled out in all counties in the second term as schools reopen,” he said.
He said that he had instructed all county directors from Homabay, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, Nyamira and Siaya to plan on the appropriate venues for the meeting.
By Enock Okong’o
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