By Lydia Gichuki
Secondary school principals are pushing for the amendment of the Children’s Act to add provision in which students will have responsibilities towards school properties.
Speaking during Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) national conference in Mombasa, KESSHA chairman Indimuli Kahi said this will aid in stopping the very many cases of school unrest and destruction of school properties.
The school heads want a change in policy that will see students held responsible and bear the greatest burden for destruction of school property that is witnessed during schools unrest.
Indimuli said that parliament and the Ministry of Education must come up with rules and regulations that should be incorporated in the Children’s Act in regard to education institutions noting there is none so far.
‘In the Children’s Act, children have a responsibility towards their parents and the nation but there is no responsibility towards educational institutions. In this, they can break things and burn school and still go unpunished,’ he said
He added that lack of proper regulation on the responsibility of students towards school property has seen many walk scoot free with no consequences after causing destruction during strikes.
‘Lack of regulations on this aid students go scoot free with no consequences,’ he said
Additionally, the teacher’s wants the government to enact policy that will allow mandatory and random drug testing in school a head of reopening later this month.
He said in this, the schools will be able to manage and tame the many cases of indiscipline among students.
Speaking to Citizen Tv on mandatory drug testing, Indimuli said the test will aid in providing information to schools on drug usage among students. With this he added, necessary containment measures would be put in place to dissuade the students from the use of drugs.
For credibility of results, he said laws should be put in place and test conducted in specified government institutions to reduce chances of conflict of interest among parties.
Photo credit; KNA