International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue XI, November 2022|ISSN 2454-6186

Corporal punishment in Secondary schools in Kenya: Issues and challenges

Werunga Khisa Stephen¹*, Khisa Alfred Simiyu^2
1Department of Education Management, Kibabii University, Kenya
²Department of Educational Foundations, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
*Corresponding author

Abstract: Banning of corporal punishment in Kenyan schools since 2001 has sparked intense debate to both parents and teachers on management of discipline in schools. In the recent months after resumption of learning due to Covid-19 Pandemic, many schools have experienced unrest leading to burning of dormitories, classes and even learners assaulting teachers. The study was tasked with the analysis if divergent views on corporal punishment and justice in schools towards character formation. In addition, the study examined the issues and challenges in addressing discipline in secondary schools and finally established whether Kantian ethics can facilitate attaining of character formation and training in Kenyan secondary schools towards disciplined citizenry. The study found out that corporal punishment is still being used in secondary schools in Kenya despite the ban because of the cultural and ethos orientation despite the government advocating for contemporary forms of discipline and effective guidance and counselling in schools. The study found out that despite the retributive theoretical orientation, Kantian ethics can equally facilitate the character education and training of the young towards moral values and disciplined citizens. The study recommended for the revitalised teacher training and capacity building in a humanization education and training towards adoption of multidimensional approaches in handling discipline issues in the school set up for instance pastoral programme, Chaplaincy services, Volunteer /charity works to expose learners to realities that meet their attention to deviate their naive way of looking at reality. In addition, involving students in formulating school rules and regulations alongside each penalty to re orient learners towards sound moral judgment of their acts.

Key words: Corporal punishment, Issues, challenges, Character formation and training, Kantian Ethics

I. INTRODUCTION

Globally, the rewards and punishment approaches in addressing discipline issues in schools has been shaped by the introduction of laws to guide and protect the vulnerable and thus guard the young in the education process (UNICEF, 2020). The role of education is to model the young in sound moral virtue and truth (Aboluwodi, 2015). Each State therefore in line with international laws on protection of children, has set up constitutional frameworks to align to the global agenda. The Kenyan government through a legal notice of 2001 and the Kenya constitution 2010 declared that physical handling of any child by causing pain amount to physical assault and this is punishable by law. Despite the formulation of the above laws it has been observed by

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