Teachers’ ignorance on the Law stinks to the high heavens!
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Proverbs 13:24 King James Version
says:
“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: But he who loves him chasteneth him bedtimes”
This sounds great in the spirit of disciplining our children in the sense of guiding them to do what is deemed right but what does the law say on corporal punishment?
Over time corporal punishment has been used to ‘straighten’ crooked children both at home and even at school against what the Kenyan Constitution article 53 stipulates:
Section 53 safeguards the rights of all children against all forms of inhuman treatment and punishment.
This is further buttressed in section 4 of the TSC ACT 2012 which provides that the Commission in the performance of its functions and excersise of its powers will all times take into account the best interests of the learners.
Further, section 36(1) of the Basic Education Act, 2013 explicitly states that no pupil shall be subjected to torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in any manner, whether physical or psychological.
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Teachers’ ignorance on the Lawstinks to the high heavens!
It really irks me to bits when news of a teacher or teachers pop on all sorts of media from social to mainstream of these same violations!
Why can’t teachers read the code of conduct, ethics and regulations designed for them and avoid these unnecessary embarrassments?
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Why would the teachers insist on caning students in the name of disciplining them, while the very parents whose kids are getting corrected are the same people taking them to court and initiating disciplinary actions against them?
We have seen news on TV of ‘badly tortured’ pupils tagged along with their parents demanding for ‘justice’ but on the flip side we have not seen the same parents protesting against indisciplined students who have been reported assaulting or even killing teachers!
A case in point is Moto Secondary school in Kuresoi subcounty Nakuru County that has had a teacher get interdicted over corporal punishment allegations!
For those who are familiar with this school, they would witness for free of how indisciplined the school has been. We have heard of teachers having been harassed by some students at the said school. However the school has been on the right tragectory disciplinewise and even academically since 2019 courtesy of the teachers’ and the new principal’s passion of transforming the young generation, one child at a time!
Unfortunately, this is not getting appreciated if the news of interdiction and a hostile community is anything to go by.
How effective are Guidance and Counseling Departments in dealing with Discipline?
We are aware of very indisciplined cases of students some who even pose a threat to teachers. Cases of drug and substance abuse among school going children is on the rise making teaching and learning very difficult in some institutions! The Teachers Commission has been insisting on correcting the students through Guidance and Counseling Departments! But wait.
How exactly are teachers supposed to deal with in discipline cases when it is obvious that the Guidance and Counseling Departments do not have the capacity to counsel and guide the Adolescents? When last did the ministry of Education and TSC invest in training of the Guidance and Counseling Masters and Mistresses?
‘Things on the ground’ like the Kenyan lingo goes ‘are different’ and the truth is: Teaching has become elephant for most Kenyan teachers in dealing with a very indisciplined lot!
Know the law.
Meanwhile I appeal to the Kenyan teachers to read the law: The Basic Education act and Code of Regulations for Teachers (2015) , TSC act (2012)and the Teachers Service Commission Code of Conduct and Ethics (2015)
Please be informed to keep your job! Meanwhile Sanitize, fill the TPAD promptly and psyche your mind for the forthcoming TPDs.!
