The Committee was briefed by its research unit on findings from previous studies, audits and assessments, which pointed to examination related stress, poor student-teacher relationships, inadequate mechanisms for addressing learner grievances, weak guidance and counseling programmes, overcrowding in schools, poor living conditions in some boarding institutions and drug and substance abuse as some of the major causes of unrest.

📻 Breaking It Down

NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 15 – National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education is set to embark on a comprehensive inquiry into the growing cases of school fires, destruction of property and student unrest reported in learning institutions across the country.

The Committee chairman by Julius Melly (Tinderet MP) said the inquiry would help establish the root causes of the recurring incidents and inform recommendations to restore stability in schools.

“We need to come up with a way forward on how we are going to look into school unrest across the country,” he said.

📌 What You Need to Know

The Committee was briefed by its research unit on findings from previous studies, audits and assessments, which pointed to examination related stress, poor student-teacher relationships, inadequate mechanisms for addressing learner grievances, weak guidance and counseling programmes, overcrowding in schools, poor living conditions in some boarding institutions and drug and substance abuse as some of the major causes of unrest.

The report further highlighted concerns raised by the Auditor-General’s 2020 Performance Audit on Fire Safety Preparedness and a recent Ministry of Education school safety assessment, both of which identified widespread non-compliance with prescribed safety standards, including overcrowded dormitories, inadequate emergency exits, weak emergency preparedness arrangements and deficiencies in safety infrastructure.

Expressing concern over the persistence of the problem despite numerous previous interventions, Melly noted that student unrest had become a recurring challenge in the education sector.

“School unrest is almost becoming a pandemonium. It is something that is recurring almost every other time,” the Committee Chairman said.

He further indicated that the Committee would engage a wide range of stakeholders during the inquiry process.

“We will need to meet with parents, possibly meet with students, meet with security agencies, meet with the church and all those people who matter,” he added.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya