During interactions with one Institutional Manager, who happens to be in this forum, I this week learnt of something that was totally unimaginable. Their county administrative beureaucrats had indicated that the current burning of schools has been instigated by school principals themselves. Really?

That creates opportunities of minting money as normalcy is restored, as the administrator stated. I couldn’t imagine this assertion, having continually shared ideas on the most likely causes of the menace. Surely, how can the same institutional managers be culprits, while being parents of children in different schools, some of which may have experienced the menace? Couldn’t they also be tormented by such sins?

Later in the day, I managed to visit the education offices in the county. I needed to have a discussion with the County Director of Education. Unfortunately, there was a long que waiting for attention. To safe time therefore, I was directed to the office of the County Quality Assurance Officer, who we had lengthy, but very healthy discussions on the current experiences in the education system.

Particularly, was it true that the institutional managers in the county have been accused of being involved in the destruction of schools in their county? The officer agreed with this assertion. He also completely agreed with my perspectives on policy weaknesses, teachers’ as well as parents’ contributions to the tribulations in schools.

In that regard, the officer indicated that as a county team, they will invite me for a session with institutional managers during their meetings next term. We can only wait and see if that will happen.

Meanwhile, transactional leadership style that widely borrows from book rules is largely what guides majority of institutional managers. When policy weaknesses leads to it’s failure, what alternatives are left? In my view, it is time to apply benevolent leadership style. It is dictatorial in nature but becomes inevitable when the subjects expose their institutions and themselves to unnecessary risks and destruction.

Nationally for example, it was applied in Singapore by Lee Kwan Yu; in Rwanda by Paul Kagame; in Uganda by Yoweri Museveni. These countries especially the two in our region, were initially ungovernable. Consider their situation today. The same style could easily be applied in institutions as well. Why so?

While in Embu County last week, I visited one school and what I observed was quite surprising. As the principal was engaged in a meeting, the deputy principal was busy attending to a long que of seemingly naughty girls. Each of them was getting a number of canes on their palms, some wailing uncontrollably – I almost felt like videotaping the excercise using my phone. Luckily, I respected the School’s privacy.

This school reminded me of yet another incidence. While in the staff room of one leading high school in Nairobi, some years ago, one teacher walked in, holding a naughty boy by the hand. The student groaned in pain as he was caned thoroughly. He promised never to repeat the mistakes made. Seemingly, banning of the cane as a weapon of instilling discipline exists only in the records, for some institutions.

In today’s situation therefore, why should students be allowed to disregard existing authorities and almost make them irrelevant? Also, it now seems quite clear that protection of human rights is only applicable where behavior is guided by existent and workable societal as well as institutional value systems, isn’t it?

FYI

Reading the list of schools that have been torched by students was rather disturbing. Sadly, I noticed two of them that we have empowered not only through our publications, but also seminars for students. In one case, we had empowered only the form 4 class and only form 2 for the other. Insights have indicated that trouble shoots from the classes that have not been equally empowered.

What is even more disturbing is that one of our written recommendations has always been that a seminar for teachers is also inevitable, whenever we conduct one for students. This is meant to entrench 21st Century empowerment strategies through spreading them across board.

Conversely, none of the schools where teachers have embraced our empowerment seminar has been affected by the destruction menace. This is exciting because one of the 5 objectives of our teachers seminar is to ensure that they become great role models of their students.

More still, feedback in September 2021 from a school that teachers had enjoyed our seminar in June 2021, indicated that 3 of them had re-joined universities to re-align their knowledge. This is still very exciting.

Knowledge re-alignment naturally improves the passion of teachers. The same can positively influence students as well. But, if teachers can re-join school after our seminars, what can be said of the impact of the seminars to students, who are still in school, upon embracing our empowerment strategy?

Finally, please keep in mind that most trouble in the school system revolves around challenged

1. Attitudes (Motivation)
2. Focus ( Direction/Strategy)
3. Reading culture
   The higher the levels of the challenges, the higher the levels of INDISCIPLINE, and eventually, the POORER the PERFORMANCE. WELCOME for Instant Solutions of the challenges !!

Rgds

Mwangi Wanjumbi (MKIM)
Personal Empowerment Coach
Seasoned Speaker/ Consultant Trainer on Strategy, Performance, Change Management and Leadership.
Competency Based Curriculum-CBC Architect
Author of 1. KICD approved Career Dynamics in the 21st Century, 2. Living Beyond Survival:No More Tiptoeing in Life

3. The 21st Century Student:Are You Creating The Future Today? Also, Retired 5 Year Monthly Strategy Columnist (2013 – 2018) for The SME Today Magazine Phone 254772516210