CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1Â Â BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Children are frequently said to be a country’s wealth and pride. Any nation’s future is thus dependent on its youth, who represent the potential human resources required for the society’s survival. As a result, in order for a community to flourish sustainably, the youthful people must not only be saved but also disciplined (Rafael, 2007). School indiscipline has long been a source of concern for educators, policymakers, and the general public, as a result of peer aggression, violence within the teacher-student relationship, and vandalism, all of which contribute to the problem of dropout, deviant behavior, examination malpractice, lateness, and poor academic performance among students. In the social, psychological, and educational sectors, indiscipline is a multidimensional phenomena in terms of its manifestations and causes, as well as its meanings and functions. In terms of its manifestations, Amado and Freire (2009) thought that the most serious circumstances are framed in what they refer to as the first level of indiscipline, which they define as disruptive episodes that interrupt classroom functioning. Disagreements among classmates and conflicts within the teacher-student relationship, which can escalate to aggression and even delinquency, are examples of occurrences that could be framed at the second and third levels. According to Yaroson (2004), the problem of indiscipline pervades all aspects of man’s existence and has driven him to his knees. According to Gaustard (2005), school discipline has two basic goals. The first is to guarantee that staff and children are safe, and the second is to provide a learning atmosphere. Students’ misbehavior involving aggressive and criminal activity results in acts of indiscipline, which defeats the educational aims. Mbiti (2007) defines discipline as a moral aptitude or tendency that, when imprinted in the human potential, develops into a powerful habit of self-control. As a result, discipline entails the formation of an informed conscience as an integral element of a person’s identity. According to Jeng (2011), it comprises a person’s mind and character training that leads to self-control and a habit of compliance. Students go to school primarily for the purpose of receiving a decent education. Only when schools are disciplined can students receive a good education. In education, discipline is the most important issue. Teachers, parents, students, and the general public all place discipline at the top of their concerns, according to Soet (2005), citing Charles (1981). Teachers rank discipline at the top because it affects learning, their emotional lives, and it outweighs all other factors combined in determining a teacher’s success. Jeng (2011) instructs pupils to recognize that one of the most basic features of a human being in school, at home, and across the globe is discipline. Stakeholders agree that maintaining school discipline is a high priority since knowledge cannot be acquired without character. Soet (2005) believes that schools require discipline in his research, “Perception of the Causes of Indiscipline among Students in Mt. Elgon District.” It is the one aspect of learning that everyone anticipates and desires. Most educators feel that discipline is the one factor that may make or destroy a school, since without it, even the best efforts of a teacher could be wasted. Discipline is viewed in a variety of ways by various people. For some people, discipline is synonymous with taking precautions. This style, according to Okumbe (1998), tries to take preventative steps and might take the form of guidance or explaining values and regulations to pupils. Padilla (2012), a seasoned speaker who leads parent seminars for California school systems, agrees that it is a positive method that promotes and rewards good conduct rather than penalizing negative behavior. Others see discipline as a form of punishment, as Mbiti (2007) points out, with proponents of the traditional system believing that physical punishment was a necessary deterrent to a child’s wrongdoing tendencies. Wilson (2000) shares this viewpoint. He points out that, despite the fact that it is an unpleasant line to walk, any parent who wants to prevent their son from bullying their younger sister, or any honest teacher who wants to ensure that the weaker students in school are not bullied, knows that such a line must be crossed from time to time. In the past, many teachers used physical punishment to promote order in their classrooms. This was codified in the Education Act Cap 211 (1980), which states that punishment can only be meted out in circumstances of persistent or serious work neglect, lying, bullying, excessive insubordination, indecency, or truancy, among other things. The Education Act of 1980 spelled out exactly how and by whom punishment would be administered. However, in 2001, the then-Minister of Education issued Legal Notice No. 56/2001, which made physical punishment illegal (Mbiti, 2007). Since then, there have been various disputes in Kenyan schools about whether or not the cane should be banned. Indiscipline is the deliberate failure to obey a society’s laws and regulations. It is strongly ingrained not only in Kenyan schools, but also regionally and worldwide. The task force on student discipline and unrest in secondary schools (Wangai report, 2001) found that educational institutions have seen an increase in occurrences of student discontent. For a long time, the subject of learner indiscipline has dominated worldwide and regional discussions. Khanbab (2010), for example, argues that India’s schools and colleges have devolved into a haven for indiscipline to the point that tests must be administered with the assistance of the police. He attributes it all to students’ bad study habits, inept professors, and political leaders who push them to rebel against the government. Bullying is a prevalent and potentially harmful type of violence among children, according to recent study in the United States, which not only damages the intended victims and offenders, but also chills the school atmosphere, harming all kids’ capacity to learn to the best of their abilities (Limber and Nation, 1997). Danso (2010) criticized Ghana’s educational institutions for having high rates of indiscipline and anarchy. He remarked that hardly a single day goes by without a report of a youngster committing an act of indiscipline in a primary or secondary school. In educational institutions, he bemoaned the causes of drug misuse, rape, armed robbery, abortion, and even murder. If instructors and students are not disciplined, meaningful teaching and learning directed toward achieving school goals will be impossible to achieve. According to Aguba (2009), discipline is required to build a generation of well-educated kids who would acquire respect for themselves as well as others in the school and society.
