KUPPET Raises Alarm Over Rising Assaults on Teachers in Schools.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has expressed concern over an increase in reported cases of students assaulting teachers in Murang’a County, following four separate incidents recorded in secondary schools within the past one month.
According to the union, the reported incidents involved three female teachers and one male teacher and were linked to disciplinary actions taken against students. KUPPET stated that the trend reflects increasing cases of student indiscipline and declining respect for members of the teaching profession.
Speaking in Murang’a County, KUPPET Murang’a County Executive Secretary Thomas Kimani said incidents involving violence against teachers were previously uncommon but have become increasingly frequent, ranging from verbal abuse to physical assaults.
Kimani stated that the reported incidents should raise concern among education stakeholders, adding that cases of student unrest, including school arson witnessed in recent years, demonstrate broader disciplinary challenges within learning institutions.
He further noted that the four reported incidents may not represent the full extent of the problem, indicating that some teachers may opt not to report assaults.
Kimani cited the first reported incident at Maragua Ridge Secondary School, where a teacher was allegedly physically assaulted and verbally abused by a student and the student’s mother after disciplinary action was taken against the learner.
According to KUPPET, the student and her mother were subsequently arrested and arraigned before a court. However, Kimani expressed dissatisfaction after each was fined Kenya Shillings 3,000, stating that the penalty did not reflect the seriousness of assaulting a teacher.
The union has called for stricter disciplinary sanctions against students found guilty of assaulting teachers, including barring such learners from sitting the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.
KUPPET Murang’a County Gender Secretary Trizah Njuguna stated that female teachers were increasingly working under fear due to the growing number of violent incidents reported in schools.
Njuguna further stated that assaulting a teacher constitutes a criminal offence and called for stronger institutional measures to safeguard teachers. She also criticized the Ministry of Education for what the union described as inadequate public response to the reported incidents.
Murang’a County Director of Education Phillip Wambua confirmed receiving reports of four separate incidents involving teachers at Maragua Ridge Secondary School, Njora Secondary School, Kimathi Secondary School and Kibungithu Secondary School.
According to Wambua, three of the reported incidents involved physical assaults while one involved verbal abuse directed at a teacher.
At Njora Secondary School, a female teacher was reportedly assaulted after attempting to confiscate a student’s mobile phone when it rang during an examination marking session. The student allegedly attacked the teacher before mobilizing other learners who threatened to assault her after school.
The teacher was subsequently escorted home by colleagues due to safety concerns. The incident was reported to the local administration, after which the teacher sought a transfer from the school.
In another reported incident at Kibungithu Secondary School in Kandara Sub-county, a teacher sustained injuries, including a black eye, after allegedly being assaulted by a student who had been disciplined for reporting late to school. The matter was reported to the police, and the teacher was issued with a P3 form to facilitate investigations.
Wambua stated that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against the students involved in accordance with the Ministry of Education regulations. He added that learners found culpable would be required to seek admission in other schools following the disciplinary process.
The County Director of Education condemned the reported assaults, describing them as criminal acts that should not be tolerated within educational institutions.
Wambua further called upon parents to strengthen discipline and accountability among learners before they report to school, noting that some students arrive in school unwilling to comply with institutional rules due to inadequate supervision at home.
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He also indicated that drug and substance abuse could be contributing factors in some cases, alongside poor parental guidance and inadequate discipline.
The County Director of Education advised teachers confronted by violent students not to retaliate but to report such incidents through established channels, including school administrators, the Ministry of Education and law enforcement agencies, to facilitate appropriate legal and disciplinary action.
Education stakeholders have continued to call for coordinated intervention involving parents, schools, government agencies and the wider community to strengthen discipline in schools and enhance the safety and protection of teachers within learning institutions.
KUPPET Raises Alarm Over Rising Assaults on Teachers in Schools.
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