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Concern is mounting within Murang’a’s education sector following a series of incidents in which secondary school students allegedly assaulted teachers, prompting calls for urgent intervention to curb rising indiscipline in schools.
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This comes after four teachers; three female and one male, were allegedly assaulted in separate incidents over the past month as cases of student unrest continue to affect learning institutions across the county.
Concern is mounting within Murang’a’s education sector following a series of incidents in which secondary school students allegedly assaulted teachers, prompting calls for urgent intervention to curb rising indiscipline in schools.
According to teacher unions and education stakeholders, four teachers; three female and one male, have been assaulted in separate incidents over the past month as cases of student unrest continue to affect learning institutions across the county.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Murang’a branch Executive Secretary Thomas Kimani said the affected teachers reported being subjected to verbal abuse, physical attacks and other forms of violence, mostly after taking disciplinary action against students.
Kimani noted that assaults on teachers have traditionally been rare in the county and warned that the emerging trend should be treated as a serious threat to the safety of educators.
“During the recent wave of unrest in schools, many teachers endured difficult experiences, with the majority choosing to remain silent,” he said.
One of the reported incidents occurred at Maragua Ridge Secondary School, where a female student allegedly insulted a teacher before her mother also became involved in the confrontation.
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Kimani said the mother and daughter were arrested and arraigned in court but expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome after each was fined Ksh3,000 and released.
Murang’a County Director of Education Phillip Wambua confirmed receiving reports of the assaults, saying the department was handling the cases with the seriousness they deserve.
He said incidents had been reported at Maragua Ridge Secondary School, Njora Secondary School, Kimathi Secondary School and Kibungithu Secondary School.
“Three of the incidents involved students physically assaulting teachers, while another involved a student verbally abusing a teacher,” Wambua said.
At Njora Secondary School, a teacher was allegedly assaulted and threatened by a student while marking examinations after attempting to confiscate the student’s mobile phone, which rang during a lesson.
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In another incident at Kibungithu Secondary School in Kandara Sub-county, a teacher on duty sustained an eye injury after she was allegedly attacked by a student who had refused to clean a classroom as punishment.
The incident was reported to Kandara Police Station, and the injured teacher was issued with a P3 form to facilitate investigations.
Education stakeholders have now called for firm action against students who assault teachers, warning that failure to address the growing cases of indiscipline could undermine discipline, learning and the safety of teachers in schools across the county.
By Boniface Gikandi
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