This archive report was first published on 6 September 2019.
Established in 1948, Tambach Boys High School, located at the scenic Kerio escarpment, has been a hub of frequent students' unrest and indiscipline. However, the institution has bounced back, thanks to the introduction of biometric technology last term.
According to the school's principal, Michael Cheruiyot, the technology was installed at a cost of Sh2 million, which was saved by cutting costs. The system links students' thumb prints with their details, including names, admission numbers, class, and contacts of parents or guardians, making it easy for the school to communicate with parents on student check-ins and check-outs.
Whenever students return to the institution, either from holidays or mid-term breaks, the school rules and regulations stipulate that they must check in before 5pm. Since the system was established, very few students have missed this deadline.
"The time to loiter in town on the way to school is now history. Dad will know the exact time I arrive in school and if I take unnecessarily long on the way, he will get suspicious and call my teacher. I have to head straight to school or face trouble," said one student shortly after logging in.
The biometric system sends a text message to parents or guardians to inform them that their son has arrived in school, along with the exact time of arrival. The system also works whenever any student is leaving the school, say for midterm break, leave-out, or school trip.
"Students can at times sneak out and then come back and fake stories that they were in school. With this we can use the CCTV and replay their movement for parents," said Cheruiyot, adding that the technology has helped him maintain indiscipline in the school after years of searching for a lasting solution.
The technology has also kept intruders at bay, minimising students' interaction with strangers blamed for smuggling in drugs and fueling examination irregularities. It has also made the work of teachers easier, as they no longer have to conduct a headcount to know who is present and who is absent.
"I no longer accompany my son to school because he knows I will know the time he arrives," said Samuel Kosgei, a parent, who was previously worried that his son would engage in mischief on his way to or from school.
Published on September 6, 2019, the biometric technology has received the support of parents and is attracting attention from other schools, with a number of administrators visiting to learn how to deploy technology to curb indiscipline.
