A Kericho-based anti-drug activist, William Rotich, has called on the national and county governments to strengthen psychosocial support systems and structured engagements in schools, saying the measures could help prevent strikes and destruction of property.
In an interview with KNA, Rotich said with most secondary schools reopening this week following the mid-term break, students should be offered adequate counseling and mentorship shortly after reporting to address issues that may trigger unrest in schools.
The activist said the approach would enable school administrations to understand well the learners’ home backgrounds, including the challenges they may be facing and their relationships with parents, hence allowing for timely intervention.
“We need permanent full-time psychosocial counselors in schools because many challenges affecting learners go unnoticed until they result in unrest. The professional counselors will help the learners navigate through emotional, social, and behavioral challenges through counseling, mentorship, and early intervention, reducing the risk of problems escalating into indiscipline or unrest,” said Rotich.
The activist, who is also a certified mental health counselor, observed that limited interaction between parents and learners has left many students turning to peers for advice on life issues, a trend he said could expose them to negative influences.
“I interact with the young generation by visiting more than fifteen secondary schools in Kericho County, with many of these visits being in Chepseon and Kapkatet wards. During my engagements with students, many reveal that they do not have deep conversations with their parents and only interact with them at the surface level,” he said.
“Some parents assume that because their children are in high school, they are already adults and can handle the emerging challenges on their own. This leaves some learners seeking guidance from peers, which exposes them to negative influences such as substance abuse and risky behaviors and lifestyles that may affect their future well-being,” noted the activist.
He said some students turn to such behaviors as a way of coping with pressure, including stress related to internal and external examinations.
The activist further called for the establishment of structured engagement forums bringing together teachers, parents, and students to create open channels of communication and address learners’ concerns before they escalate into strikes.
He said such regular interactions, even as learners countrywide return to school to complete their second-term calendar, would help schools to identify challenges affecting the students.
This would further strengthen the trust between learners, teachers, and parents, with a view to promoting a supportive environment that could help prevent future cases of indiscipline.
Rotich, therefore, called for a paradigm shift by the relevant stakeholders from only being reactionary to cases of school unrest whenever they occur to investing in long-term preventive measures that address students’ emotional, social, and academic needs.
By Sarah Njagi
