East African Standard, Nairobi, 8 May 2002

Caning Still Rampant in Schools

Caning is still rampant in schools despite a Government ban on the practice and the enactment of the Children Act which criminalised it.

Population Communication Africa (PCA), an NGO targeting African adolescents, says caning as a form of punishment and instilling discipline is "alive and well" in Kenyan schools.

The main perpetrators of caning are identified as, the male class teacher, the teacher on duty, the head teacher and the female class teacher, in that order.

A survey conducted by the NGO on pupils in Nairobi primary schools reveals that caning is the most common form of punishment employed by teachers.

Of the 1,140 pupils surveyed, 52.6 per cent reported being caned, 23.1 were slapped while 24.3 per cent suffered other forms of beating.

PCA says that though caning is perceived more as a form of punishment reserved for men, more school girls (52 per cent) than boys (48 per cent) report caning.