Rachuonyo South Sub County residents have called for dialogue as unrest cases in schools continue to rise and disrupt learning in various parts of the country.
The residents noted that incidents of strikes leading to damage of property and student deaths have become a worrying trend that requires urgent solution and have called for concerted effort from parents, teachers and relevant government agencies to create a conducive learning environment where students feel heard and supported to avert unrest.
Harun Otieno, a resident of North Kamagak location with a student in one of the local secondary schools, said students should be encouraged to embrace dialogue whenever they face challenges in schools.
“Schools are meant to shape the future of our children. Resorting to violence and destruction only affects learning and brings unnecessary burden on parents and institutions,” he said.
However, George Ochieng also a parent in one of the local schools blamed the unrest on poor communication between the learners and the school administrations.
“Students should be given opportunities to air out their grievances through proper channels before issues escalate into unrest,” he said.
He expressed optimism that enhanced communication, counseling services, and parental involvement will help reduce the cases of students’ unrest and promote a culture of responsibility among learners.
Rachuonyo South Sub County Quality Assurance and Standards Officer Mark Ongoncho, however speaking to the media in his office called on schools to establish regular students’ barazas as a way of addressing learners concerns before they escalate into unrest.
“School administrations should organize frequent barazas where students can openly discuss their challenges with teachers and school management. Much unrest occurs when the students feel their concerns are ignored,” said Ongocha.
He identified bullying, rivalry among student groups, poor diet and harsh punishments as some of the causes that contribute to unrests in schools.
“Bullying continues to affect many learners in schools, while rivalry groups within the school create tensions,” he said adding that complaints on the quality of food served in schools and disciplinary measures perceived as unfair can fuel up unrests among the students.
The Officer emphasized the need to strengthen guidance and counselling departments to address emerging issues and promote peaceful conflict resolution among learners.
“If students are given a platform to express themselves through barazas and proper counselling structures, many issues can be resolved before the result on strike or destruction of property comes up,” he said.
by Dorice Mukoshi
