Curbing Violence In Schools: School And Teacher Preparedness

Abstract

Education has received unmatched attention as the best method of achieving economic and social growth. Governments, development partners, households and other stakeholders in education invest heavily in education. Consequently, notable achievements have been realised in many countries, including Kenya, in enrolment and the increasing number of educational institutions at all levels. However, education has progressively faced critical challenges. In the developing countries, chief among the challenges facing education is the quality and relevance of education, and gender equity in education. Several reasons have been put forward as to the cause of failure by educational institutions to achieve the desired educational goals and set objectives. These include: high dropout rates; outside interference; forced repetition of pupils and students; and, a congested curriculum. But none of these weighs heavily on the education scene and the school as does school indiscipline. School discipline is a great concern to the Government, school managers and administrators, teachers, parents, pupils and students, key stakeholders in education and the entire community. This study was particularly concerned with the upsurge of violence in secondary schools in Kenya. Minor cases of school indiscipline include smoking of cigarette and bhang, and drinking of beer and other alcoholic spirits. School indiscipline reaches its highest height when disturbances turn violent and tragic. Acts of violence are often uncontrollable and have resulted in major crises. Some of these have been tragic resulting in destruction of property, physical and psychological injury, rape and even death. The present study investigated the extent to which schools and teachers were equipped to deal with violence. Findings indicated that schools and teachers were not prepared to handle violence and that is why such situations could not be defused, and hence often exploded unexpectedly resulting in tragedy.