By Lydia Ngoolo
Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) national chairperson Mutheu Kasanga has opposed any move to reintroduce stroke of the cane in schools as a measure to curb the rampant schools unrest in the Country.
Instead she called upon parents and all education stakeholders to make learners embrace the virtue of respecting and protecting public property.
Kasanga was speaking in her office with regard to ongoing strikes in public schools where she called for transformational leadership in schools saying there were gaps in management which needs to be addressed.
She demystified the link of strikes to lack of corporal punishment and rather called upon those calling for reintroduction of the cane in school to think of other corrective measures instead.
In reminisce to the incident of Kyanguli secondary school unrest back in the years, where a score of students lost their lives and others left with serious injuries, she said corporal punishment was present then but still it happened.
“I tell you, corporal punishment comes with anger and that’s where the problems start. Instead of being fair you end up hurting the kids who react differently. Let parents start by correcting their kids at home, teachers can do little in terms of discipline, a bigger percentage must be done by parents,” she noted.
She also called for schools to put up mechanisms through which students’ issues can be sorted out without any acrimony adding that they should never go physical because doing so flares a lot of anger and animosity.
The chair observed that Covid -19 protocols set by the ministry of health are the best and should not be blamed on the school unrest at all.
She however said severe consequences within the law should be applied to those involved in school unrests and burning of property.
“Where is judicial deterrent? The culprits should face the full wrath of the law. They should not be readmitted in any school whether public or private because they might influence the other learners,” she added.
Kasanga further supported the Education cabinet secretary Prof. George Magoha in his call for school property to be insured. She said the move will relieve parents of the burden of paying for the damages in case of any eventuality.
Photo caption: Kenya private schools association(KPSA) chairperson Mutheu Kasanga./Lydia Ngoolo.
