Machakos County, Mwala Deputy County Commissioner David Tegutwa has called on parents to cooperate with the police while their children are being investigated for involvement in school unrest and indiscipline.
According to Tegutwa, there are parents who are interfering with school unrest disciplinary cases and investigations by shielding their undisciplined children from repercussions after having been involved in school unrest and transferring them to other schools thus bringing forth irresponsible adults and future criminals.
This comes after Mwala sub-county experienced spate of student unrest in Schools like Masii Boys, Kabaa High School and Makutano Boys.
The DCC was speaking in his boardroom in Mwala during a Departmental meeting with several Heads of Department and other stakeholders where he urged them to work together and address arising issues in the Sub County as well as calling on teachers to be alert on any behavioural change among students.
Tegutwa disclosed a challenge where some head teachers are not open to discuss drug issues in their schools because according to them admitting there is a challenge will expose them to critics and scrutiny yet drug issue is a societal menace that needs to be addressed on time.
He further emphasized on a collaborative effort between parents, teachers, education stakeholders, religious leaders and NGAO team in ensuring the students receive guiding and counselling to foster academic, social and personal development as well as navigating peer pressure and mental health.
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However, he pointed out that school fires and strikes have reduced considerably and commended his NGAO security team in being proactive by engaging chiefs in monitoring schools and weeding out suspicious people within and outside the school environment who may interfere with learning or influencing the students negatively.
On his part, Mwala Curriculum support and TSC officer Henry Katei reiterated the importance of guiding and counselling for students that would make them want to be in school and not run away or strike as most do while equipping them with strategies on how to overcome challenging situations either at home or school.
He also urged security teams to control or investigate persons accessing institutions of learning and are not teachers, who could be influencing children in drug pedaling and other criminal activities as well as monitoring the school canteens.
“Tighten security in and around the schools and anyone who has no business in school should be investigated,” said Katei.
Mwala OCPD Fredrick Suter decried the defilement cases piling up and urged parents to be on the lookout for any behavioural change in children this long holiday to identify early abuse, report it immediately and provide appropriate medical and emotional support for the child.
Other schools in Machakos County that experienced student unrest in third term are Machakos Boys, Muthetheni Girls, Machakos Girls, Mumbuni Girls, Katangi Boys, Mutituni Girls, and Kaluini Girls.
By Juma Ndigo
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