Sunday Nation, Nairobi, 7 March 1999

Knut official opposes caning

By SUNDAY NATION Correspondent

A Kenya National Union of Teachers official has cautioned teachers against caning students.

The Knut Kiambu executive secretary Julius Githinji said the Education Act was very clear on the circumstances when students should be caned and by whom.

Mr Githinji told teachers not to treat corporal punishment "so casually" as they were now dealing with enlightened parents. He said the practice would give litigation-happy parents excuse to sue.

He was addressing a district seminar for Knut school representatives at Anglican Church St James Cathedral in Kiambu Town on Friday.

Mr Githinji said each school should have a copy of the Teachers Code of Regulations and teachers should read it thoroughly in order to avoid practices against the profession.

He said the union was committed to ensuring there was good working relations between teachers and administration. School heads should reciprocate that.

It was illegal for school heads not to forward teachers' letters to the Teachers Service Commission, he said, and advised teachers who suspected their letters would not be forwarded to send an advance copy.

Mr Githinji said the union was fighting for the promotion of teachers on merit but the Government had frozen the exercise under pressure from the International Monetary Fund.

Kikuyu Education Officer Sospeter Thairu and Muguga zonal inspector of schools Paul Kabiru warned parents against waging unnecessary war on teachers.

They told parents to stop demanding removal of some teachers on flimsy grounds as there were no fresh ones leaving training colleges.