In the year 2015 alone, 26 out of 47 counties in Kenya experienced cases of arson of school property and some students lost their lives in secondary school unrest (refer to Daily Nation Newspaper of August 4, 2015). My thinking is that current preparation arrangement for student leaders may be lacking in some key skills and procedures which can enable them sense trouble and help deal with it promptly. However I am not clear in my mind what the skills or procedures might be. But as a student of educational leadership, I think we need to help make school time learning time and not 'problem solving' time.
I think that secondary schools cannot impede such misconduct. As long as there exists discomfort in a population, the peril is latent that few of them turn to violence. Often it needs external peacekeeping aid to achieve betterment.
Thanks for your question, Leonard! I'm curious about the role is of these 'student leaders' you mention. Are you using this term in the Tanzanian or the Kenyan context - or does it apply to both?
I'm currently writing an ethnographic case study of a school in Ethiopia which focuses on social control mechanisms in the school. I find that there are several different student leadership positions with different remits (MPs at the school level, monitors at the class level, and group/network leaders at the desk level), some of whom are voted by their peers, and some of whom are appointed based on their academic ranking. I'm interested in your experiences of different student leadership positions, and since you mention it, any preparation these leaders might have.
I've done a good deal of writing about boys at school. In brief:
Boys feel school is not for them
They come to school to be with their mates and play sport
There is little feeling of belonging and ownership
School represents unreasonable work demands and a hostile authority system
I know little of the special qualities of African kids. Masculinity is always made in a time a place and a culture / cultures
I think it all begins with understanding the concept and the value of PEACE and HUMANITY, RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIVES AND PROPERTY. If people (students included) do not see the value of these concepts, no amount of safeguards can prevent violence and the loss of lives. We need to instill in our students the value of human life, respect for human life and property and how to sustain and maintain them. Next we need to make student leaders realize the responsibilities their position carries. What are they leading about? what is their mission? who are they leading? what are their aspiration for their community, for themselves, for the students they are leading. If all of these is valued then they can lead properly. Hope this makes sense.
By setting a good example with extensive training for them.
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