The impact of students' council in the management of discipline in public secondary schools. a case of Baringo central sub-county, Baringo county, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the area of student council and considered the extent to which school leadership involved it in the management of student affairs particularly in enhancing discipline in the school system. The study was conducted in public secondary schools in Baringo central sub-county which operates the student council model of student leadership. The study population comprised 30 public secondary schools in the sub-county, out of this population a sample of 10 schools which practice student's council model of leadership were selected using purposive sampling technique. Out of 30 Deputy Head teachers, 30 Guidance and Counseling Heads of department and 60 student council leaders, 10 deputy head teachers, 10 guidance and counseling and 20 student's Council leaders were selected using purposive sampling technique. Three research instruments were used to collect data for the study. They were; student council leader questionnaire, guidance and counseling instrument and Deputy Head teacher interview schedule. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics; quantitative data was analyzed using frequency and percentages. Results of data analyses were presented using frequency distribution tables, and bar graphs. The study established that the student's council leadership played a key role in enhancing academic excellence, discipline and conflict resolution. Moreover; the study established that the school administration was instrumental in enhancing the function of the student council through involving the council in management committees of the schools. The study recommends that the student's council ought to be involved in the area of school management. This will encourage democratic governance of public secondary schools. The findings of this study should stimulate school stakeholders to revitalize the function of the student's council leadership to enhance its capacity in managing student's affairs. It should provide valuable insights to the government to put in place appropriate structures in terms of policy framework so that all schools are made to embrace the student's council leadership model.