Factors influencing Kenyan school discipline in the post-caning era

Abstract

ackground In Kenya, as elsewh ere in the world, corporal punishment has been banned as a disciplinary mechanism in schools. The perception exists that this has resulted in an increase in misconduct and indiscipline among secondary school learners. It should, however, be acknowledged th at there is a variety of other factors that also impact on the status of discipline in schools and that this increase in misconduct might not have been caused solely or mainly by the banning of the cane. Purpose The purpose of this investigation was to identify such factors and their influence on secondary school discipline in Kenyan secondary schools. Design and methods This is a position paper that unpacks these factors within the Kenyan context. The concept of discipline is presented through some o f its definitions and its aim, the recent manifestation of indiscipline in Kenyan schools is described, factors that impact on discipline are presented and the effects of indiscipline are briefly indicated. Conclusions Finally, some recommendations are made on the way forward towards improving discipline in Kenyan schools. These recommendations would also be of value in other contexts where corporal punishment is no longer allowed.