- Meru Central KNUT Executive Secretary Caxton Miungi has linked many second-term school strikes to fear of examinations and poor academic performance.
- He argues that some learners trigger unrest to avoid facing parents and teachers after disappointing mock examination results.
- The union official has also called for stronger quality assurance measures and greater discipline among learners.
Meru Central Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Executive Secretary Caxton Miungi has attributed the wave of student unrest commonly witnessed during the second term to fear of examinations and poor academic performance.
The KNUT official said many schools administer mock examinations during the second term, creating anxiety among learners who fear their parents and teachers will discover poor results.
“Many learners fear their parents or teachers will inevitably discover their poor academic performance once examination results are released. In order to cover up their declining performance, they initiate such unrest,” said Miungi.
Speaking during a press briefing in Meru town, he noted that strikes rarely occur during the first term of the school calendar.
Learners Seeking an Escape
According to Miungi, some learners participate in unrest as a way of expressing dissatisfaction with various issues within schools.
“Other learners, for reasons only known to them, join the strike to express their displeasure or vent against different issues. They simply want to express themselves regardless of whether parents will be required to compensate for damaged property,” he said.
Miungi contrasted today’s learners with students of previous generations.
He recalled that many learners in the past came from humble backgrounds, lived in modest homes and looked forward to joining boarding schools because of the opportunities they offered.
“We took advantage of the situation because back at home there was no piped water and we had to fetch it from rivers. Balanced diets and meat were scarce. Boarding schools offered better facilities and opportunities,” he said.
He argued that today’s learners enjoy more comforts at home, including modern housing, internet access, mobile phones and television.
“Today it is the opposite. Learners have access to many comforts at home. Unfortunately, schools restrict some of these privileges, leading to dissatisfaction and unrest,” he added.
Concerns Over Discipline
Miungi further linked rising indiscipline to the ban on corporal punishment.
“Teachers will never allow the use of mobile phones in schools. At home, many learners enjoy unrestricted freedom after parents stopped caning them,” he said.
He claimed some learners are exposed to drugs while still at home and carry those habits into boarding schools.
The KNUT official also expressed concern about the amount of pocket money some learners receive, arguing that it sometimes exposes them to risky behaviour.
Call for Hard Work and Prevention
Miungi urged learners to shun unrest and focus on improving their academic performance through hard work and discipline.
He also called on the Ministry of Education to strengthen quality assurance by deploying officers at zonal and regional levels to monitor compliance with education standards.
“The Ministry of Education guidelines must be adhered to when constructing dormitories and classrooms. If a school fails to comply, the construction should be stopped immediately,” he said.
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Miungi regretted that quality assurance interventions often come after disasters occur.
“It is far more cost-effective to prevent a disaster than to respond after it has happened,” he added.
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