During the days of Prof George Saitoti, Prof Sam Ongeri, prefects heading different departments in primary and secondary were chosen/appointed on the basis of their performance in class and their level of discipline.
Student leaders could take charge of the school even in the absence of teachers. Prefects were allowed to do corporal punishments. This enhanced high discipline among learners.
During the era of Prof Jacob Kaimenyi and the current Education Cs Dr. Fred Matiang'i , learners choose whom to lead and how to be led.
Students are allowed to campaign for various positions in school. Obviously students go for the popular, rude and hard to approach buddies. Student leaders are elected on the basis of their adverse negative influence in schools, of course students go for who will finally favours them in times of crisis, leaders who will not easily leak out their plans and deals.
There is too much democracy in our schools. The liberty is too much. Students have been made to feel that they have numerous rights that neither parents nor teachers must be allowed to interfere with.
The tolerance in our schools is obsessing. Today students respond to teachers at their pace, depending with the teacher's description in the school compound. Students have been allowed to think and demand for things that by the end of the day adds no value to their academic life.
Students go to school to pass exams as opposed to then, when a school was a moral modelling institution.
Today's happenings in our schools need a collective approach. Parents , teachers, ministry of education, Church, sponsor/guardians and any other stakeholder must come together and address the challenges before it turns worse.
Arsonry must stop in our schools before our students burn themselves, or even burn teachers and their families in their homes.
Blame game will not offer a lasting solution. We must strike a lasting deal once and for all to curb the ongoing student unrest across the country. More than 50 schools have been tortured with fire since second term began. Property of worth millions of shillings has been destroyed. An amicable solution is needed.