Discipline as a Factor in Academic Performance in Kenya

Discipline is a vital ingredient for the success of students’ academic performance. The Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Education (MOE) has always set up commissions of enquiries anytime the secondary schools unrests become a great concern, especially when it leads to massive destruction of property and death of students. The MOE has always wanted to get to the bottom of the matter and establish ways in which discipline can be enhanced. However, discipline in public day secondary schools has deteriorated in the past few years, especially since the ban of the cane jeopardizing the national goals of economic and industrial development (MOE 2008). In spite of efforts by the schools, indiscipline is the order of the day and it may be assumed that it hampers good academic performance. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has further ensured that each school has a teacher-counselor to strengthen discipline yet many schools particularly in Ruiru District have continued to find it difficult to establish a strong culture of good discipline. The academic performance in Ruiru District has continued to deteriorate. The schools have also been experiencing students’ indiscipline. Although there are many factors that affect the academic performance, the factor of indiscipline has not been conclusively looked in to. It was therefore important and urgent to have an in-depth assessment of the role of discipline on academic performance in order to solve the problem. In view of the above, the task of this paper is to assess the causes of indiscipline, ascertain the relationship between students’ discipline and academic performance, find out challenges faced by teachers in dealing with students’ indiscipline and develop strategies for improving discipline in public day secondary schools in Ruiru district, Kiambu County in Kenya. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n1p289