ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT DISCIPLINARY MEASURES ADMINISTERED BY SECONDARY SCHOOL AUTHORITIES IN BUNGOMA EAST SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The study assessed student disciplinary measures administered by secondary school
authorities in Bungoma East Sub-County, Kenya. The study adopted descriptive survey
design and mainly targeted learners who stayed mainly under the care of guardians instead of
their real parents as well as learners who had parents but such parents that never attended to
their school issues. Simple random sampling was used to select 4 schools from the 35 schools
in the Sub-County. From the 4 schools, 4 guidance and counseling masters; 4 HOD’s in
charge of discipline, and 4 principals were purposively sampled for the study. Thereafter, a
10% of learners with indiscipline cases per school were purposefully selected. A similar
number of learners who enjoyed full parental care at all levels were randomly selected for
comparison purposes. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, specifically use of
percentages and frequencies. The study established that corporal punishment was cherished
by schools. This was attributed to the belief that it is biblically directed that sparing the rod
spoils the child. It was also owed to experience where corporal punishment had been seen to
control bad behavior. However, this was against the government’s directive on ban of
corporal punishment. Manual work should be used as form of punishment. Apart from being
a form of punishment, manual work is important in training children to do physical work.
Suspension from school was also used as a disciplinary measure. However, expulsion was
refuted.