© Victor Ochieng’
Unrest is a feeling of disturbance and dissatisfaction in a person or people. In most cases, unrest in schools manifest faster as disaster, disrupting activities. For instance, there are flash floods that can sweep schools and sad fire incidences that raze down schools without a tinge of mercy. Disaster can strike anywhere anytime. Meaning, no school is immune to disaster occurrence. No wonder, before things go south, it is important to implement the raft of recommendations as spelt out in the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya.
Ideally, disaster can manifest as accident, explosions in science laboratories, invasion by wild animals or armed people and outbreak of a contagious disease. We all remember how Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc in March 2020. There can be hysteria and school closure due to violence. Disaster can be breakdown of essential services such as water, transport and electricity. Then, there are unrest and strikes. Many a time, it is not easy to fight and defeat disasters, especially the ones beyond human comprehension and control. Albeit, Heads of Institutions (HoIs) should explore practical ways of mitigating catastrophes through disaster preparedness, disaster relief and disaster recovery. Of no to inferno, schools should focus on fire prevention, fire safety and fire eradication.
Back to the gist of the safety manual, schools should keep students posted on escape routes when fire goes berserk and shows its ire. Dormitories should be built in strict adherence to security and safety standards. They should be clean, salubrious and properly ventilated. Spaces between beds should be at least 1.2 metres. Corridors or pathway spaces should not be less than 2 metres. Since sharing of beds is wrong, promoting aberrant behaviour like homosexuality (sodomy, gayism and lesbianism), admissions should be tied to bed capacities at all times. It is dangerous to lock dormitory doors from outside when learners are inside. Conversely, dormitories should be locked at all times when learners are elsewhere. Each dormitory should have a door at each end, and an additional clearly labeled emergency exit at the middle. Fire extinguishing equipment should be placed at each exit, with fire alarms fitted at easily accessible points.
Likewise, there should be fire assembly points where students can gather as school authorities take roll call in morbid moments. Advisedly, maintain well-equipped emergency aid kits, fully-furnished with whistles, fire extinguishers and basic equipment for first aid. Focus on regular drills. Preferably every term. On evacuation procedures for fires and accidents. Focus on fire prevention measures. For instance, the kitchen should be at the right place. Focus on safety of electric cables. Somewhat, for the sake of holistic safety, it is incumbent upon the government to design and implement compulsory school safety training course for principals, teachers, students and staff. Schools should employ enough security guards with basic training in disaster management and mitigation. Schools should focus on stringent measures to curb spate of students’ unrest and bullying.
Moreover, classrooms should be properly lit and ventilated. The size of buildings should adhere to the specifications of the Ministry of Education (MoE). Classrooms should accommodate number of learners in line with the provisions of the MoE circular on Health and Safety Standards in Educational Institutions (2021). The doorways should be adequate for emergency purposes, open outwards, and should not be locked from outside at any time when learners are on board. For storeyed buildings, the stairways should be wide enough and located at both ends of the building without obstructions. The construction of stairways should accommodate learners with special needs. Handrails in the stairs should be strong and firmly fixed. Corridors should be well-lit and ventilated. Schools should deal firmly with the menace of drug abuse which impair judgement of some students, turning them into arsonists. Schools should install CCTV cameras for purposes of surveillance and vigilance. Ubiquity of teachers in charge of boarding is important. Schools should teach peaceful ways of resolving conflict in Life Skills Education. Then, both students and staff should be trained on school safety. Again, teens love food. Therefore, give them good food while focusing on both quality and quantity. In turn, in third term when there are no inter-school activities, remember to stage some internal co-curricular activities to help them expend excess energies. Select, train and induct a strong Student Council. Enforce school rules and regulations with tact. The Discipline Committee should handle discipline cases judiciously and justly without oiling cogs of corruption.
Ostensibly, Principals should fix leadership lapses in the school. Arouse a sense of responsibility in all and sundry. Principals and Deputies should avoid high-handedness. Give room to guided democracy. Embrace dialogue and “open-door policy”. Get feedback and address issues raised by both staff and students. Practise flexibility as a soft skill. Let there be peaceful co-existence among all stakeholders. Manage change in the new station. Work well with the community. Do away with bad blood in administration. Do not balkanise staff through “divide-and-rule”. Handle resistance with discretion and wisdom. Train and trade staff. Construct and re-construct teams. Organise and re-organise departments. Determine and discern enemies within. For in Gem, where I was born and brought up, our elders say, the hyena can only enter the compound using the hole created by the family dog. Above all, pray, as you remain vigilant: to detect and uproot seeds of discord or division. In Matthew 13:25, we read, “But while men slept, the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.”
Moreover, Principals should strike beautiful balance in their leadership style. I recommend a page-turner titled The Leader Who Had No Title, where Robin Sharma posits that leaders should be tough, but tender; courageous, but compassionate; firm, but fair; strong, but sincere. Consequently, combination of leadership approaches will delete reproach. Remember, the leadership style depends on the situation at hand. Create open sessions where students can air their grievances without victimisation. Organise well-thought-out edutainment — entertainment plus education — to help students steam-off, love school, gain joy and enjoy learning. Explore creative activities that can arouse sense of pride and belonging in learners. With that, they will not vandalise school property when the push comes to a shove. Then, we should never forget the raft of recommendations in The 2001 Naomi Wangai Report whose nub was Students’ Discipline and Unrest in Secondary Schools. The report established: Oodles of exams served to Form Four candidates as they prepare to write KCSE exams, can cause chaos. Therefore, right at the onset, as you launch the Form Four Programme, explain to the candidate class the purpose of running an examination system as one of the Best Academic Practices after completion of syllabus. Force, threats and intimidations may not work well in these times and climes. More so, among these Gen Z. Advisedly, engage impactful speakers with enough expertise and experience. Strengthen the psycho-social and spiritual programmes. Teacher-counsellors to be proactive. Empower Peer Counsellors. Work closely with the church through chaplains. Parental engagement and empowerment is important because discipline begins at home.
Writer rolls out talks and training services in schools. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
