Teachers across the country are excited after Chief Justice Martha Koome showed support for discipline of learners in schools.
Yesterday Koome warned parents who have a habit of suing teachers and schools after their children have been expelled for breaking school rules that such cases will be dismissed and the parents will be responsible for the costs.
Speaking at Loreto Limuru Girls’ High School in Kiambu County, Koome stated that all forms of indiscipline cannot be tolerated and that parents must take responsibility for raising their children in a moral manner.
As one way to ensure that children are fully protected, CJ Koome proposed an improvement to child protection laws, warning that any suspects found guilty of child abuse will face a sentence of at least 20 years in prison.
“We do not encourage indiscipline at all we have the obligation to bring up our children, to encourage them, support them,” CJ Koome said.
“Whoever violates a girl child or a boy child will be imprisoned for 20 years to pay for the pain and the agony that they caused the victims.”
Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, who accompanied CJ Koome, challenged parents to get involved in the upbringing of their children, and should create ample time to spend with them.
“And if you’re not part of your child’s school, anything else you’ll do will be in vain. When you’re part of your child’s life and you take active participation in school, you will just marvel at the success of your child,” noted Mwilu.
Appellate court judge Mumbi Ngugi, for her part, urged the government, through the Ministry of Education, to ensure that most national public schools have special classes for students with disabilities, so that they have equal opportunities as other students in the country.
This does not guarantee teachers a permission to treat pupils in a wild manner.