Analysis Of Democratically Elected Pupils’ Leaders On Learners’ Discipline In Public Primary Schools In Nandi-East Sub County Nandi County, Kenya.

Abstract

The rapid expansion in enrollment and abolishment of corporal punishment accompanied by the demand for dialogue has led to increase of indiscipline cases in public primary schools. The purpose of this study was to analyze democratically elected pupils’ leaders on learners’ discipline in public primary schools in Nandi-East Sub County Nandi County, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were: to assess the perception of learners on democratically elected pupils’ leaders and discipline in public primary schools in Nandi East Sub County, to analyze perception of teachers on democratically elected pupils’ leaders and learners’ discipline in public primary schools in Nandi East Sub County, to find out the extent to which democratically elected pupils’ leaders participate in enhancing discipline in public primary schools in Nandi East Sub County and to investigate the extent to which democratically elected pupils’ leaders motivate learners to improve and maintain discipline in public primary schools in Nandi East Sub County. The study will be beneficial to the teachers, pupils and school discipline management in addressing learners’ disciplinary issues within and outside the school. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The target population for this study entailed 90 public primary schools in Nandi East Sub County, with 90 deputy head teachers from the 90 public primary schools, 297 teachers and 2450 class 8 pupils. The study utilized simple random sampling to sample 27 schools comprising of 27 deputy head teachers, 89 teachers and 245 class 8 pupils. The study used both questionnaires and interview schedules. The instruments were pre tested through a pilot study and the results of reliability test for variables were more than 0.7 hence reliable. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires then coded and entered into the Statistical Analysis Software - Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while interview schedule were analyzed qualitatively and presented using tables, graphs and percentages. The study findings revealed that on learner’s perception; 40.1% of the class 8 pupils strongly agreed that some teachers influence the work of democratically elected pupils’ leaders, mostly side with the teachers when it comes to decision making, give promises during campaigns which are not fulfilled, do their work with a lot supervision by teachers and feel superior than others pupils. On Teachers Perception; majority of the teachers agreed that democratically elected pupils’ leaders have greatly maintained discipline in the school by treating others with respect and dignity. The study also revealed that democratically elected pupils’ leaders participate in enhancing discipline in public primary schools by reporting wrong doers to the deputy head teachers as the manner to which democratically elected pupils’ leaders participate in enhancing discipline in the school. Finally, democratically elected pupils’ leaders motivate learners to improve and maintain discipline. More than half of the teachers indicated learners are motivated to obey the pupils’ leaders in school. The study concluded that to date democratically elected pupils’ leaders have done little to reduce indiscipline cases as evidenced by the study findings. The study recommends that; democratically elected pupils’ leaders should be trained on different ways of leadership for better discipline, the Ministry of Education together with the government of Kenya should revise this model to allow vetting of candidates before election and democratically elected pupil’s leaders should cooperate with teachers in maintaining discipline in school. The study suggested that future researchers should focus on, factors affecting the performance of democratically elected pupils’ leaders in public primary schools in Nandi-East Sub County, Nandi County, Kenya.