Publication:

The effects of prefects involvement in controlling of Students behaviour in secondary schools in Kisasi zone in Kisasi sub-county, Kitui county

Discipline is a key ingredient to successful learning. The Prefects Body now called Student Council in Kenyan schools is a vital link, between the school administration and the students’ body. Together, they enhance school discipline. Student Council members strive to develop and maintain a more caring relationship among the students, which make peaceful co-existence a reality. The role of prefects or student leaders in school administration in Kenya and other parts of the world is increasingly becoming more complex. This calls for a need to balance roles shared in school governance between the administration, teachers and prefects to ensure its effectiveness. However, the increase in the number of cases of indiscipline among students in public secondary schools, manifested in the burning of schools and even loss of life, raises questions on the role of prefects in the governance of schools. It is in this light that the researcher embarked on determining the role of prefects as a link between the students and the administration in the upholding of discipline in public secondary schools within Kisasi Zone, Kisasi Sub-County in Kitui County. The study employed the survey research design. The target population was six public secondary schools within Kisasi Zone, which was randomly selected through stratified sampling to ensure fair representation of the various categories of schools found in the zone as some as mixed boarding secondary schools, mixed day secondary schools, boys school and girls schools. The respondents were the school Principals, twelve or the Deputy Principals, teachers and prefects as well as sampled students from the sampled schools. The researcher specifically developed separate questionnaires for Principals or Deputy Principals, teachers, prefects and students to suit each type of respondent and it was administered personally by the researcher. For qualitative data, descriptive statistics entailing means, frequencies and percentages were utilized after the responses are availed. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data analysis. Quantitative methods of data analysis such as use of percentages and frequencies were employed in this research. Information was presented in the form of tables and charts. Questionnaires were the main data collection instruments. The study eventually recommended that the school administrators should come up with a proper school governance system that enables prefects to participate in decision-making process and especially in matters that concern students through active involvement in various meetings such as school committee meetings, Parents Teachers Association (P.T.A), entertainment and guidance and counseling etc.