ROLE OF SCHOOL POLITICS IN MANAGEMENT OF UNRESTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The unrests witnessed in 2018 reminded Kenyans of past bloody episodes, which, though rare, caused pain, loss and destruction. Several parents are likely to still be struggling to come to terms with the loss and destruction of those events. Unfortunately, despite several studies that have tried to investigate and recommend solutions for these menaces, this is still freshly being experienced in the country. This scenario informed the study with the purpose of investigating the role of school politics in management of unrests in public secondary schools in Kenya. The study was guided by conflict theory and theory of symbolic interactionism, and a descriptive survey design with a target population of the 57 public secondary schools in Taita Taveta County, Kenya. The sample consisted of 194 headteachers, heads of departments and Board of Management members. Stratified random sampling was used to select respondents. The study used a questionnaire and interviews to collect data. The study found that school politics including teachers’ incitement has a significant role in management of unrests in public secondary schools in Taita Taveta County.


Introduction
In the last thirty years, the world over has experienced terrifying school violence cases and subsequently deaths. In April 1999, Columbine High in Littletone -Colorado, i Correspondence: email oyepatty@gmail.com experienced horrific shooting incident in which two students randomly shot at their classmates and the faculty. The gunmen committed suicide after killing about twelve fellow students and one teacher. Another fifteen-year-old teenager shot and injured six fellow students just one month after the horrifying incident. Another student at Oklahoma, a middle level school took with him a gun to the institution and ended up wounding five fellow students (Maphosa and Mammen, 2011).
School unrests in the United Kingdom were majorly experienced towards the end of the year 2010, in November and December in which most parts of the country were affected but central London was hit harder. The situation is not any different for Nigeria. Elelenwo Girls, the Government Boys Secondary School and Holy Rosary College -Ogbakiri went on rampage in 1982 with similar incidents floating into Okrika Grammar School -Okrika in 1983 (Kate, 2016). The students rioted and tried to kill the school principal. In the same year, Buabom Community Secondary School principal was beaten up by rioting students. In another incident, Akpor Grammar School students held the school staff including the principal hostage.
The situation is no different from the Kenyan schools. Efforts of the Kenyan Government to eliminate school violence have in most cases worsened the situations. In 2011, four prefects at Nyeri High School were burned to death while asleep in their dormitories. In Kyanguli Secondary School in Machakos County, several students perished in dormitory fires leaving scores injured (Ministry of Education, 2011). At least 10 boarding secondary schools experienced cases of unrest during the month. Of these, seven were arson cases that targeted dormitories.
In 2017, Maranda High School was closed indefinitely for some days due to unrest by students who accused the administration of frustrating them. Within the same week of the incident, twelve non-local teachers from Chalbi Boys in Marsabit were transferred after they were assaulted by students (Ministry of Education, 2017). In the same period of 2017, Meru School was closed indefinitely on start of week 3 into third term; a day after students went on a rampage and destroyed property. The students were released after destroying property including windowpanes.
Back in Kilifi County, a Form Four student at Maandani Secondary School was arrested with a litre of petrol after his attempt to burn the school was foiled by police and school administration (Ministry of Education, 2017). Meanwhile, Moi High School Kasighau in Taita Taveta County was closed, and more than 320 students sent home after they burnt down property worth more than Sh5 million. There was, therefore, a need for such a study to sensitize all the stakeholders in education and more especially the teachers and school managers on the need to manage students' unrests and to assess the causes of the rising unrests in secondary schools.
The year 2017 was marred by fires consuming majority of secondary schools in Kenya affecting dormitories and administration blocks. These school-protests happened mostly around the middle of the year and the cause of such indiscipline among students continued to puzzle concerned parties in most parts of the country. Consequences of school unrests are characterised by loss of lives, study time and property worth millions of Kenyan shillings (Ministry of Education, 2011). Unfortunately, despite several studies that have tried to investigate and recommend solutions for these menaces, this is still freshly being experienced in the country (Wambu & Fusher, 2015). More so, the situation is not any better in Coast region including Taita Taveta County. At least eight secondary school students were arrested in May 2017 for allegedly burning property worth millions of shillings at the Coast. The arrests came at a time when schools in the region continued to witness a series of riots. Some of the schools hit by student unrest included Mariakani, Moi High School, Kasighau, Marafa, Malindi, Kitobo and Timbila High School (Ministry of Education, 2017). The rising number of unruly students in secondary schools might be an indicator of how ineffective the current disciplinary management methods have impacted them. Reflecting on these and by large extent to entire country, this study investigated the role of school politics in management of public secondary school unrests in Taita Taveta County, Kenya. The study was guided by objectives including to investigate the influence of teachers' incitement on school unrests in public secondary schools in Taita Taveta County; and to establish the effect of school politics on unrests in public secondary schools in Taita Taveta County.

Literature Review
Beginning early 2010, Egypt's predicament formed major part of an initiation of relationships within and among learners. Needful was for the Egyptian educators to concentrate more on the worth, relevance and fairness of learning opportunities principally among the adolescents. The three years of socio-political strikes led to an increase in significant transformational experiences and logics in education reform (Rissmann, 2014). New and revised educational policies and procedures, contractual adjustments in salary and labouring conditions, modifications in teaching and learning of additional syllabus, syllabus compacting, e-learning, and creative enhancements for community service/character building, and civics are just examples of the gains.
Over last two decades, Afghanistan has had prolonged social unrests and ethnic violence as well as engineering of the education system by both internal and external forces for political motives leading to these disintegrations. With its efforts in rebuilding peaceful coexistence after two decades of war, still little attention is accorded major contributors to social divisions (Spink, 2007). At least four million kids went back to school during the first two years of 'peace' in Afghanistan. The United Nations spent millions of dollars together with other international donors to ensure school children are provided for (ibid).
Teachers still spread ethnic hatred and intolerance as they teach even after only three years into a new peaceful era. Reading materials are altered to promote social division and war, in search a way that the donors can never notice, and the problem appears to be fueled by the contributions they have made in terms of capital. Afghanistan requires a new syllabus plus upgraded teacher competence being core issues in ensuring establishment and maintenance of prolonged peace in the country (Spink, 2007). The new generation was equipped with adequate social responsibility as well as national pride, teaching unity in diversity as opposed to holding onto differences brought about by ideologies. Cooper (2014) carried out an evaluation of school-based infernos, founded on allinclusive survey of media, government, court reports, as well as basic data collected through interviewing students, educators, and administrators in Kenya with political scopes. Evidently it is crystal clear that school-based arson is an event that cuts across regions in Kenya, taking place in all kinds of schools, across school calendars. Current and former learners observe this trend in terms of arson's effectiveness as a method in protest politics. As result of these, Cooper (2014) contends that incendiary in schools is a pointer to more than just the contested conditions of education in Kenya. Students' arson emulates this generation's knowledge on protests and politics in Kenya. Learners are now aware that chaotic mass actions are enough to win retaliation from forces in reactionary mode of governance, whereby the people's demands are only attended to when there are threats to public peace and financing.
According to Okoth (2010), impassive and uninteresting class should be a genuine cause of concern to tutors, especially when the learners resolve to rowdiness and unending wool-gathering for fulfilment. At times, these problems could be originating from the syllabus. Reference could be drawn to school programmes that are structured in a way that least puts into consideration the diverse needs of learners are part of a whole range of interests, aptitudes and environments.
Worth noting is the fact that secondary school syllabus has, for a long time, been academic-oriented with the bottom-line of learning lying on gathered tradition of mankind as documented in books with a remarkable disregard to day-to-day experiences and problems. There is a sharp problem of current learners in secondary schools being able to adjust. The main significance of education which is for learners to improve their behaviour has at times been neglected. Additionally, Okoth (2008) observe that the teacher and what he/she shares with the students has definite role in the students' rest or unrest. As role model, students tend to emulate and listen to their teachers in all aspects; whether constructive or destructive.
The challenge of teacher unproductivity may also be experienced. Apparently, the root cause of teacher ineffectiveness include lack of or inadequacy of requirements in pedagogical knowledge, classroom elements of learner-teacher interaction -for instance lesson execution skills, capability of creating rapport with learners and classroom supervision skills (Torff & Sessions, 2005). Some policies such as promotional ones especially in examinations and tests are also a starting point of indiscipline among learners. Lochan (2010) posit that students' rivalry for better grades and unwarranted pressure on exams is favourable for troubling behaviour among learners. It is thus, recommendable that appropriateness instead of postponing research on foundation and consequences of learner misconduct is a requirement to oversee how teachers correct such misconduct. Opposite to this is that the ineffective teachers tent to influence the students' mind that the problem is the school management. This makes the students either react by demonstrating against the school management or resolve to deviant behaviour. Brendgen, et al. (2007) concluded that learner-teacher relationship has the biggest authority to affect the learners' educational, social, emotional and behavioural problems. Learners in harmful relations with their teachers and specifically when this is contributed by the teacher's negative utterances against the child, have a tendency of missing out on vital learning opportunities hence risk increasing in misbehaviour. In this regard, teachers themselves become a source of student behavioural misconduct in schools and thus recommendable for teachers to work towards harmony with fellow teachers, administration and learners. This in return, will cultivate oneness and cultivate self-belief among learners of their grown-up leader in the learning institution.
All-encompassing influences on the conduct of learners that provoke rowdiness are the general behaviour of teachers. Teacher's personality, moral fibre, approaches and observable deeds altogether determine how effective a teacher-learner and teacherteacher relation. This is how important the personality of a teacher is. Teachers who depict such virtues as compassion, sympathy and considerateness spread out warmth among learners. In this regard, teachers are still expected to maintain professionalism in their work (Lochan, 2010).

Material and Methods
The study employed a mixed research approach. Through this approach, the study entailed collection of data with descriptions in words form and numerical. Using a descriptive survey design, the study was carried out in Taita Taveta County of Kenya, across its 57 public secondary schools. The study population was fifty-seven (57) principals, five hundred and thirty-six (536) heads of department (H.O.Ds) and fiftyseven (57) representatives of boards of management. The sample was 30% (194) consisting of 17 schools and thus 17 principals, 17 BOM representatives and average of 160 heads of departments.
Stratified random sampling was used to obtain 4 (17/4) schools in each constituency. Random sampling ensures that each element within accessible population has equal and independent chance of being selected (Burke & Larry, 2016). Every principal of the selected school (17) and respective BOM representatives and HODs was used in the study. Purposive sampling was used to select one (1) BOM representative from each of the selected schools (17).
Questionnaires were used to collect data from the secondary head teachers and heads of departments while interviews were used to collect data from the members of board of management.
The questionnaires were reflected on the items to be structured in simple English for easy understanding to ascertain validity. The items on the questionnaire also discussed with education expert before the start of data collection. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed through the test-retest approach using Cronbach's alpha (α). A returned alpha value of 0.76 was considered sufficient to infer reliability. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics with presentation using frequency distribution tables and percentages. The open-ended items responses in the questionnaire and interview data were analyzed thematically.

Influence of Politics on School Unrests
The Principals and the Heads of departments were asked through the questionnaires to whether they experienced any political manifestations in the schools. The questions were giving choices and the respondents were required to tick all that applied according to them. The collected data was analyzed and presented using Figure 1.  Figure 1 shows that 10 principals and 110 heads of departments felt that national politics escalated into schools which influenced school unrests. However, majority of the principals (16) felt that students following the follow of national politics was a major concern regarding school unrests. On the other hand, most Heads of departments 120 felt that students' emulation of political slogans could easily spark school unrests. Apparently, the fewest of both the principals (8) and heads of Departments (75) showed local politics reigned in the schools.
The Principals and the heads of deportments were also asked through the questionnaires to indicate the level of agreement with some statements that relate to politics. The statements were assessed and found to relate to school unrests. The responses were put in a Likert-scale from strongly agree to strongly agree with ranks from 5 to 1 respectively. The collected data was analyzed and presented using Table 1.   Table 1 shows determinant factors that influence students' unrest in public secondary schools. In the Table above, it is observed that the tendency of Students Union as an effective body that influences students' unrest on campus is 'low' with a mean score of 2.21. Breaking of rules and regulations by the students was observed on the Table 1 above as oftentimes not to cause or influence students' unrest on campus with a mean score of 2.60 'Moderate'. The Table 1 also shows that the tendency to influence/cause students' unrest by lack of social amenities on campus is 'high' with a mean score of 3.71.

BOM perspective of political will and school stability
Through the interviews, the BOM members were asked to indicate any political circumstances that may be related to the school stability and activities. The respondents indicated that a number of reported cases that sparked school unrests were related to politics. The respondents reflected some of the commonly associated themes of national politics with the school unrests. In one incidence, the residents indicated that transfer of a teacher that had been criticized by the local politicians escalated the protest to the affected school with students going rampage and demonstrating by blocking the main roads. Another interviewee reported that some schools that were closely followed and sponsored by politicians through the CDF funds were highly volatile and prone to student unrests. The politicians had a great roe to play with regard to the management of the school and that the head teacher would even be forced to notify the local politicians of the school plans and activities failure to which it would cause uproars. Respondent B said; "The social and political issues surrounding various communities penetrate the schools in this area which is instigated into the learners. This makes it favourable for the students to practice politics in schools. The head teachers lack the powers to limit and even restrict the spread of such unwarranted practices in schools due to the support of the locals."

Influence of teachers' incitement on school unrests in public secondary schools
Concerning teachers' incitement, the questionnaire respondents were asked to indicate whether they agreed that some of the causes of the school unrests were teacher-related or not. The responses were categorized as either agree, disagree or undecided. The collected data was analysed and presented using Figure 2.  Figure 2 shows that majority of the respondents (47%) agreed that there were teacher-related causes of school unrests. This is compared to a portion of 40% of the respondents who disagreed that the teachers influenced some school unrests. Moreover, a 10% of the respondents were undecided on out rightly agreeing or disagreeing on whether teacher factor was significant in causing school unrests.
Concerning the first research objective, the questionnaire respondents were required to indicate what they perceived to be prevalent and serious problems of students' indiscipline in their school. In this question, a list of the most likely teacherrelated causes of students' indiscipline as generally perceived by students were provided. From the perspective of each respondent carefully examining the statements, they indicated opinion by ticking the appropriate rating agree or disagree. Strongly agree means that particular item is cause of students' indiscipline, strongly disagree would mean, that the item is not a cause of students' indiscipline in their school. The results were analysed and presented using   Table 2 shows that majority of the respondents 41(27.52%) disagreed that Teachers discuss School mismanagement with students. However, a closer proton of the respondents indicated that they were not sure 40(26.85%). Only fewest of the respondents 22(14.77%) strongly agreed that Teachers discuss School mismanagement with students. About the Teachers give Misleading pieces of advice, majority of the respondents 37(24.83%) were undecided while 34(22.82%) agreed that indeed there was such cases. A closer figure of 32(21.48%) of the respondents indicated the contrary by indicating they disagreed with the statement.
A majority of the respondents 45(30.20%) agreed that Teachers held unofficial meetings that may have an influence on school unrests. Conversely, majority disagreed that Teachers discuss acute shortage of teaching learning resources e.g., books with students. A majority of 45(30.20%) disagreed that Teachers discuss Harsh school rules and regulations with students while 38(25.50%) were undecided on whether Teachers are often served with summons. Moreover, majority of the respondents 59(30.96%) strongly disagreed that there was Laxity of teachers due to lack of professional commitment while 38(25.50%) were undecided to the statement about Poor working relations between students, teachers, and head teachers as cause of school unrests.
The results were further analysed descriptively using the Likert scale weights of 5-Strongly agree, 4-Agree, 3-Disagree, 2-Strongly disagree and 1-Not sure. The means were used to estimate the overall view of the respondents while the standard deviation showed the degree of spread in the distribution. The findings were presented using Table  3.  Table 3 shows that the statement on the Teachers discuss school mismanagement with students showed the highest mean of 4.16 with the Teachers discuss Acute shortage of teaching learning resources being the second with a mean of 3.85. The overall average of the teacher related causes of school unrest was at 2.44 implying a disagree rating. Moreover, a standard deviation on overall concern about teacher-related causes of school unrests was at .32 implying a small variability in the responses on views about the statements that relate teacher-related cause to school unrests.

The BOM perspective of Teacher-related causes of school unrests
During the interviews with the BOM, the interviewees were asked to explain nay scenarios and circumstances they had experienced school unrests with association of the situation with the teachers. The interviewees indicated that a significant number of reported cases and causes of school unrests involved teachers. One BOM member had the following to say; "While it is expected that the teachers help the school administration to ensure smooth running of the schools, it is unfortunate that some teachers have been reported to be forces behind school unrests. One incident where student burnt down the library was reported to have been incited by the teachers. The teachers had met out students and incident them against the school head teacher who had been redeployed by the TSC following the delocalization of the school head teachers." In another interview, the respondent stated; "The teachers have been found to be responsible for school unrests especially when there are transfer of teachers. Some teachers who had received transfer by the TSC purportedly incited students against their transfers that led to students going wild threatening to burn down the school administration block. The teacher was reportedly to have held a meeting with student leaders at night in the school football grounds."

Discussions
The Table 1 also reveals that periodic strikes by staff of higher institutions does not constitute a factor influencing students' unrest on campus with a mean score of 1.96 'low'. The table reveals that the tendency of cultism to influence students' unrest public secondary schools is 'high' with a mean score of 4. 16. The results depicted the posting of Rissmann (2014) in Egypt that students are now organizing their own revolution courtesy of experiences they gained at the Tahrir Square. The students are now able to articulate their thoughts on how they wish their schools to be run. In order to enhance these, representatives of students are elected to air their voices on matters school. "Citizens before the revolution were apathetic and careless. We didn't care about what is happening because we felt the country was not ours." On the basis of highest mean (4.16), cultism was indicated as the major potential reason for students' unrest. Formation of cults was seen as a possible cause of student unrest because of the influence of the political stands which are passed down to the students. Unfortunately, the concern of belief is hard to control due to its association with human rights spelt out in the Kenyan constitution. Lack of social amenities was also indicated a major lead in students' unrest because of its association with the community politics. The two aspects of school politics were thus remarked as of high impact on school unrest compared to the rest of the items.
The interview results show that the social and political issues surrounding various communities penetrate the schools in these areas which is instigated into the learners. This makes it favorable for the students to practice politics in schools. The head teachers lack the powers to limit and even restrict the spread of such unwarranted practices in schools due to the support of the locals. The findings are in tandem with the Afghanistan posting by Spink (2007) that prolonged social unrests and ethnic violence as well as engineering of the education system by both internal and external forces for political motives leads to these disintegrations. With its efforts in rebuilding peaceful coexistence after two decades of war, still little attention is accorded major contributors to social divisions. At least four million kids went back to school during the first two years of 'peace' in Afghanistan.
Majority of the respondents (47%) agreed that there were teacher-related causes of school unrests. These findings conform to the postulation of Brendgen, et al (2007), concluded that learner-teacher relationship has the biggest authority to affect the learners' educational, social, emotional and behavioural problems. Learners in harmful relations with their teachers and specifically when this is contributed by the teacher's negative utterances against the child, have a tendency of missing vital learning opportunities hence risk increasing in misbehaviour. In this regard, teachers themselves become a source of student behavioural misconduct in schools and thus recommendable for teachers to work towards harmony with fellow teachers, administration and learners. The findings on teachers discussing school mismanagement with students had the overall average of the teacher related causes of school unrest was at 2.44 implying a disagree rating. This implied that teachers did not discuss school issue affecting them with students. These findings are contrary to the posting of Lochan (2010) that students' rivalry for better grades and unwarranted pressure on exams is favourable for troubling behaviour among learners. He thus recommended that appropriateness instead of postponing research on foundation and consequences of learner misconduct is a requirement to oversee how teachers correct such misconduct.
The interview results indicated that teachers have interest in management of schools and any changes that the regard as unfavourable for them would be met with resistance. This is what Okoth (2010) reported that impassive and uninteresting class is likely to be sparked by the teachers thus the need to a genuine cause of concern to tutors, especially when the learners resolve to rowdiness and unending wool-gathering for fulfilment. At times, these problems could be originating from the syllabus. Reference could be drawn to school programmes that are structured in a way that least puts into consideration the diverse needs of learners are part of a whole range of interests, aptitudes and environments.
Another interview finding showed that there were many teacher-related cases of the school unrests in Taita Taveta County. This a connotation of what the Ministry of Education reported as student riots due to incitement of teachers among other complaints. Teacher transfer has positive intention of increasing their motivation and job satisfaction since they are based either on promotions, replacements, or for conveniences. Despite these positive intents, Lochan (2010) proposed that there is need for transfer policies plainly outlining the settings under which teachers ought to be transferred, which is currently lacking. It is regrettable to note that the small number of existing teachers provoke learners to riot in a possible way of solving the teacher inadequacy menace.

Recommendations
The study recommends that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) through the Ministry of Education should intervene in the concerns about teacher-related factors including teachers holding unofficial meetings causes of school unrests. The ministry can institute some measures that prevent teachers from holding parallel meetings and any management interests against the school administrators. The school Principals should be able to design and implement rules and regulations to curb some of effects of national politics spreading into the schools which has been associated with schools' unrests in public secondary schools.

Conclusion
The study revealed that majority of the respondents (47%) agreed that there were teacherrelated causes of school unrests. Similarly, a majority 45(30.20%) agreed that Teachers held unofficial meetings that may have an influence on school unrests. Through the interview findings, the study found that teachers have interest in management of schools and any changes that the regard as unfavourable for them would be met with resistance. This was an illustration that the teachers' incitement has a significant influence on school unrests in public secondary schools in Taita Taveta County.
Moreover, majority of the principals (16) felt that students following the flow of national politics was a major concern about school unrests. Based on highest mean (4.16), cultism was indicated as the major potential reason for students' unrest. The respondents also reflected some of the commonly associated themes of national politics with the school unrests. This was an indication that school politics has effect on unrests in public secondary schools in Taita Taveta County. The study concludes that school politics concluding teacher related engagements through unofficial meetings creates a favorable environment for unrests within public secondary schools in Taita Taveta County. The findings also inform the literature that teachers' incitement and attraction to national politics and affiliation has a significant role in school unrests.