Pain of teachers bullied and beaten by their own pupils

Kirimon Primary School teachers who were attacked recording statements at a police station in Samburu. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The attack is said to have been orchestrated by a group of 12 boys who had been initially suspended over allegations of misconduct.

  • Cultural beliefs, peer pressure and availability of small arms in the region have also been mentioned as a big threat to both security and education in the region.

  • Samburu Governor Moses Lenolkulal condemned the attack on teachers and called for speedy investigations.

Five teachers of Kirimon Primary School in Samburu County who were assaulted by unruly pupils last Monday narrated their near- death experience in the hands of the learners.

The attack is said to have been orchestrated by a group of 12 boys who had been initially suspended over allegations of misconduct.

The boys ambushed their teachers with clubs and machetes.

Three teachers out of the five targeted were attacked immediately they stepped into various classes for their respective lessons.

Other teachers who intervened were also beaten up by the rogue boys, forcing the teachers to scamper for safety in the homes surrounding the school.

One teacher told the Nation that it was a near-death experience.

LOCK THE DOOR

“Immediately I got into the classroom in readiness for my lesson, some boy rushed to lock the door from inside as some forced me to kneel down before the class.

The more than 12 boys descended on me with teacher which they had carried,” said the teacher.

She continued:” It was terrorising, I thought I would be killed as the other pupils watched helplessly.

Some of the boys asked them to leave me alone after seeing me bleeding but they continued with the attack,” said the teacher.

Intervention by a police officer from the nearby Kirimon Administration Police post, who shot severally in the air to save the attacked teachers, was futile as he was overpowered by the rowdy youth.

PEER PRESSURE

Cultural beliefs, peer pressure and availability of small arms in the region have also been mentioned as a big threat to both security and education in the region.

“Guns are all over these villages.

People have been attacked and shot dead in their homes,” said a teacher at the school on condition of anonymity. 

“Some of us are not locals and we live within the small shopping centre here.

We cannot be sure of our security especially after the armed police officer was also attacked by the rowdy youth,” the teacher added.

The incident continues to draw varied reactions from various sectors.

RAISED CONCERN

A member of the school’s Board of Management, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she had raised concern over boys in the boarding section carrying machetes and rungus (clubs) with the school administration a number of times but no action was taken.

Samburu Governor Moses Lenolkulal condemned the attack on teachers and called for speedy investigations.

He assured teachers of their safety in the county, terming the incident an isolated case.

“This is a matter that needs to be looked into before spreading to other learning institutions. As leaders in Samburu, we want to call upon our security organs to establish the root cause of the attack and get a lasting solution to such cases,” said the governor. 

CULTURAL DIMENSION

Mr Raphael Leshalote, the Samburu County executive secretary of the Kenya National Union of Teachers, said the aftershocks of the pupils’ actions would be felt far and wide.

“What happened to our teachers was barbaric, serious and uncalled-for.

A learning institution that has pupils that behave like thugs is a very dangerous environment for both teachers and other lower primary children,” said Mr Leshalote.

Our investigations reveal that primary school pupils, some of whom are in their early 20s, pose a serious threat to female teachers in a number of schools in the county.

In a letter addressed to the school’s board, the delinquent learners singled out “madams” in the school as having been behind their troubles.

Culture tends to be central in why the learners took the law into their hands.

RESPECT MORANS

“We are very sad that our school leaders are madams nowadays. Madams are the ones leading us to fail in our examinations as they chase us home,” said part of their letter.

In the Samburu culture, women are required to respect morans (warriors) and men by all means — which entails refraining from touching them in public or sitting close to them. Women walking on the same path with men is also considered taboo.

Meanwhile, the teachers have been told to collect their transfer letters by Tuesday as their employer seeks to move them to safer schools.

The teachers told the Nation that they were contacted on Thursday by the Samburu Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) office and asked to go for their deployment letters latest by Tuesday.

AFFECTED TEACHERS

This comes as police asked the affected teachers to record statements so that investigations can be finalised.

Speaking in Maralal town, Samburu County Commander Alfred Ageng’o said investigations into the matter were hampered as a result of the teachers not presenting themselves to record statements.

To ensure the investigations are done, Mr Ageng’o urged the affected teachers to record statements.

“We know some of them are not in the county today but we are calling upon them to come and record their statements to allow us pursue the matter further and bring the suspects to book,” said Mr Ageng’o.

On Monday evening, the teachers made a joint report at the Kirimon Police Post but did not write elaborate statements.

The school, located at the border of Samburu and Laikipia counties, remains shut following the Monday morning incident.