The effect of discipline on students after the ban of corporal punishment in Kenyan schools : a case study of Nyeri Municipality

Abstract

The Ministry of Education and Technology (MOEST) in Kenya banned corporal punishment in schools in 2001. By a Legal Notice (LN) number 56 of2001. However, the government did not provide clear disciplinary measures that head teachers could administer to manage students discipline. Following the ban, cases of students’ indiscipline appeared to be on the increase hence sparking off the debate on the re-introduction of corporal punishment. Efforts by the head teachers, parents and other stakeholders to influence the government to lift the ban have not been fruitful. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the disciplinary measures being used to manage students ‘after the ban on corporal punishment. This will be a descriptive survey and the target population will compromise 14 head teachers, 275 teachers and 1180 students in form three in secondary schools in Nyeri Municipality Division. Using simple random sampling, all the 14 public secondary school will be studied. The study will involve sample of 14 head teachers, 131 teachers and 205 students. The instruments for the study will be questionnaires for teachers and students and interviews schedule for the head teachers. Description, average and percentages was used to determine whether the items correlate among themselves. The study will also shed light to the students, teachers, and head teachers on discipline in secondary schools in Nyeri Municipality Division by establishing the effects disciplinary measures that can be adopted to manage students discipline following the ban on corporal punishment.