Role of student council decision-making in public secondary schools in Embakasi Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the role of student councils to decision making in all public secondary schools in Embakasi Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was prompted by student unrests since post-election violence period from 2008 which led to the creation of student councils in secondary schools in Kenya initiated by United Nations Children’s Education Fund and Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association. The research areas were activities student council involved in decision-making, how student council decision-making activities promoted teaching and learning environment and student council faced in decision-making. The researcher used descriptive survey design. The data was collected using questionnaires which were administered to 7 principals, 48 teachers and 69 members of student councils from the public secondary schools in Embakasi Sub-County. It was found that the Student council inducted new students, reported on student and teacher lesson attendance, monitored and supervised school programs, channeled student grievances to school administration and reported on student indiscipline issues. The findings revealed that though there were attempts to include views of students in school policy and participation in decision making, student council members requested for more training, empowerment and inclusiveness in decision making matters. This would help in overcoming the challenges they faced in decision making. The researcher recommended that school administration make deliberate effort to involve student council in decision-making, establish channels of communication and the ministry of education to hold in service courses for principals to effectively involve student council in decision-making.