- KESSHA’s proposals on student discipline have sparked renewed debate on accountability, learners’ rights and school governance.
- School heads argue stronger sanctions are needed to curb rising cases of unrest and destruction of property.
- Stakeholders say discipline reforms must be balanced with counselling, parental involvement and adequate school funding.
The latest proposals by the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) have once again thrust the issue of student discipline into the national spotlight. As cases of school unrest continue to disrupt learning, destroy valuable infrastructure and place the lives of students and teachers at risk, secondary school principals are now calling for sweeping reforms that could fundamentally change how indiscipline is handled in Kenyan schools.
Speaking ahead of KESSHA’s annual national conference in Mombasa, National Chairman Willie Kuria outlined a series of proposals that many education stakeholders consider among the toughest disciplinary recommendations in recent years.
At the centre of the proposals is the suggestion that students who participate in destructive strikes should be removed from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) examination register and only be allowed to sit national examinations after undergoing a fresh registration process.
The recommendation reflects growing frustration among school heads who have watched millions of shillings invested in school infrastructure go up in flames during student riots.
Dormitories, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, dining halls and administration blocks have repeatedly been destroyed through arson, vandalism and violent demonstrations.
Besides the financial losses, many schools have lost valuable learning time, forcing students to return home prematurely while reconstruction takes place.
School principals argue that existing disciplinary measures have failed to discourage repeated acts of indiscipline. Suspensions, expulsions and criminal investigations have not completely eliminated unrest.
Consequently, KESSHA believes stronger sanctions are necessary to send a clear message that criminal destruction of school property carries serious academic consequences.
Constitutional and legal questions
However, the proposal raises significant legal and constitutional questions.
Kenya’s Constitution guarantees every child the right to education, while the Children’s Act emphasizes the protection of learners’ welfare and educational opportunities.
Legal experts are therefore likely to question whether removing students from the KNEC register before completion of due process would withstand constitutional scrutiny.
Any disciplinary framework must balance accountability with fairness, ensuring that students are accorded the right to be heard before sanctions are imposed.
Another proposal attracting attention is the recommendation that learners unable or unwilling to adapt to boarding school life should be transferred to day schools.
KESSHA insists that this should not be interpreted as support for abolishing boarding schools. On the contrary, the association strongly opposes calls to convert all boarding institutions into day schools.
According to school heads, boarding schools remain important centres of academic excellence, leadership development and holistic education.
They argue that the causes of unrest extend far beyond whether students sleep in school or at home.
Issues such as declining parental guidance, peer pressure, substance abuse, social media influence, mental health challenges, examination anxiety and inadequate counselling have become increasingly significant drivers of indiscipline.
Addressing the root causes
Education experts have repeatedly observed that modern learners face pressures that previous generations rarely encountered.
Exposure to harmful online content, cyberbullying, unrealistic social expectations and easy access to misinformation have transformed the behavioural landscape within schools.
In many cases, student unrest reflects deeper emotional, psychological and social struggles that require professional intervention rather than punishment alone.
Parents equally have a critical role to play. Many principals acknowledge that schools can only reinforce values initially cultivated at home.
When parents fail to monitor their children’s behaviour, discipline becomes increasingly difficult once learners enter boarding institutions.
Effective discipline therefore requires stronger collaboration between schools and families, with parents taking greater responsibility for nurturing respect, honesty, accountability and resilience from an early age.
Teachers also remain central to preventing unrest.
Positive teacher-learner relationships, open communication, effective guidance and counselling, early identification of troubled learners and responsive leadership can significantly reduce tensions before they escalate into violence.
Schools that maintain active student councils, mentorship programmes and regular dialogue forums often experience fewer disciplinary crises because learners feel heard and respected.
The funding challenge
Beyond discipline, KESSHA used the opportunity to draw attention to another pressing concern—the financial health of secondary schools.
The association argues that the current government capitation of approximately KSh17,500 per learner is insufficient to sustain quality education under Competency-Based Education (CBE).
Schools are grappling with rising costs of instructional materials, laboratory equipment, utilities, food supplies, maintenance, technology integration and infrastructure development.
The transition to CBE has increased the demand for practical learning experiences, digital resources and specialized facilities.
Principals maintain that unless government funding is reviewed upward, schools will continue struggling to deliver quality education while maintaining discipline and supporting learners effectively.
The debate therefore extends beyond punishment.
Many education stakeholders believe that chronic underfunding indirectly contributes to unrest by creating overcrowded classrooms, inadequate learning resources, overstretched teachers and deteriorating school facilities.
Improving school environments may itself reduce frustration among learners and create conditions more conducive to discipline.
Mental health has emerged as another critical dimension.
Guidance and counselling departments in many schools remain understaffed and under-resourced despite growing evidence that anxiety, depression, trauma and emotional distress affect increasing numbers of learners.
Strengthening psychosocial support services may prove just as important as introducing stricter disciplinary measures.
Technology also presents both opportunities and challenges.
While digital learning has transformed education, unrestricted smartphone use and social media platforms have sometimes facilitated the rapid spread of rumours, coordinated unrest and harmful online influence.
Schools may therefore need clearer digital citizenship programmes that teach responsible technology use alongside academic skills.
Ultimately, lasting discipline cannot be built solely on fear of punishment.
Sustainable school peace depends on creating learning environments where students feel respected, engaged and supported while clearly understanding that acts of violence carry firm and lawful consequences.
Discipline succeeds best when it combines accountability with mentorship, counselling, parental involvement and responsive school leadership.
KESSHA’s proposals have undoubtedly opened one of the most important education debates in recent years.
Whether all the recommendations are eventually adopted or modified, they have reignited a national conversation about how Kenya should balance discipline, learners’ rights and quality education.
The outcome of this debate could shape the future of school governance and student discipline for many years to come.
As delegates meet during the KESSHA national conference, education stakeholders across the country will be watching closely.
Their discussions may well influence future government policy on school discipline, funding and the continued implementation of Competency-Based Education.
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The challenge now is to develop reforms that protect both the integrity of schools and the constitutional rights of every learner while ensuring that Kenya’s education system remains safe, inclusive and globally competitive.
By Hillary Muhalya
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