Influence of Children Government on Learners Discipline Management in Public Primary Schools in Nyandarua County, Kenya

Abstract

Discipline management plays a pivotal role in enhancing learners’ academic achievement. The Children Government is a key component geared towards enhancing children rights and creating a conducive learning environment. However, the inclusion of children government in discipline management in primary schools has not been appreciated by primary school teachers and administrators. The teachers and school administrators view the learners as too young to engage in discipline management. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of children government on learners discipline management in public primary schools in Nyandarua County, Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive research design. The study was guided by the Role Theory as advanced by Biddle which argued that human behaviour is guided by expectations held by individuals. The target population was 2517 comprising of 151 deputy head teachers and 1024 teachers, 1338 student government members and four education officials. The study applied Gay principle to arrive at a sample size of 103 teachers, 46 deputy head teachers, 108 student government members and four education officials. Purposive sampling was used to select the education officials. The study employed teachers’ questionnaires, deputy head teacher’s questionnaire and student government member’s interview guide as the primary data collection instruments. An interview guide for education officials was also used. Data analysis involved quantitative and qualitative procedures using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, Ver 19) computer programme. Descriptive statistics such as mean and percentages were used to analyse data. The study established that school administrators do not use children government in discipline management of learners. The study concluded that schools lacked capacity to enhance the effectiveness of children government in discipline management in public schools. The study recommends that the school administration should entrust some discipline management to the members of children government in order to improve their relations and enhance effective utilization of the school body. The study provides education stakeholders as well as teachers with strategies for integration of student governance in discipline management in primary schools. Keywords: discipline management, children government, student leadership in primary schools