This archive report was first published on 17 October 2019.
Published on October 17, 2019, a report by the Ministry of Education has shed light on the disturbing reality of bullying in Kenyan schools.
The report, which was unveiled by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha in Nairobi, notes that bullying is a form of violence that affects students in Kenya. In 2017, a collaborative surveillance survey led by the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) ranked Kenya among countries with the highest level of bullying.
According to the National Education Sector Strategic Plan for 2018-2022, bullying in schools in Kenya stands at 57% for students who are bullied on one or more days in a month.
The report also highlights the wanton destruction of school property and loss of lives that have been witnessed in Kenya. In 2016 alone, close to 120 cases of school arson were reported.
Furthermore, the report states that school children in Kenya are increasingly being targeted by elements bent on radicalising the country's youth. The country has been experiencing increasing cases of disappearances as well as arrests of school-going children linked to extremist organisations.
The government attributes the rise in school violence and extremism to several factors, including heavy school work, peer pressure, lack of skills among teachers and school administrators on early warning signs and detection, as well as ineffective guiding and counselling support services.
