Parents will now have to pay for the rehabilitation of schools damaged by their children as more school buildings are set on fire on Wednesday in a wave of misconduct among students in the country.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has severally reiterated the government's position that students found guilty of engaging in such criminal activities would be arrested and charged.

"Any child over the age of eight can be prosecuted. We are working with the criminal investigation department to achieve this. This evil must stop. Therefore, any burnt building will be rebuilt by the parents, ”he said.

Among the schools whose buildings were set on fire this week are Moi Nyatike Boys 'High School where the boarding house was set on fire by students, Kigama High School, Vihiga County and Karumandi Boys' High School in Kirinyaga County where dormitories were also set on fire. .

Five students have been arrested in connection with the incidents.

Professor Magoha has instructed education directors to convene education board meetings in the county by February 25, 2021 with the aim of proposing ways to end school violence.

"The ministry has issued information on safety in boarding secondary schools, which will guide the school governing bodies in setting strategies to prevent such incidents from occurring in schools," Professor Magoha said.

He was speaking to reporters when he visited Kwa Njenga Primary School in Embakasi South sub-county, Nairobi county.

Earlier, Professor Magoha blamed parents for failing to discipline their children, thus contributing to an increase in cases of school misconduct.

Last week he was criticized following his suggestion that corporal punishment should be returned to school. The sentence was lifted in 2001, when the Children's Act was amended.

Professor Magoha added that cases of misconduct were also caused by drug use among students, a misconduct which he said was rampant at home.

The National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kuppet have said it will unite teachers and students.

Content created and supplied by: J.M. (via Opera News )