Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess practices and challenges of handling students’ disciplinary
problems in the Government secondary Schools of Jimma Town. To identify major student-initiated
disciplinary problems and which of them were common features in all government secondary schools, and
have maladaptive causes, as well as, to explore whether the existing disciplinary procedures help to handle
disruptive behavior. The descriptive survey method is employed that; involves description of the extent of
association between two or more variables using questionnaire. Samples were drawn from 3-government
secondary schools: teachers and students, who were respondent to questionnaire, while unit leaders, (vice)
principals, and PTAs, interviewed. To investigate more data, documents and records of the disciplinary
procedures and practices of the sampled schools were analyzed. The sampling technique employed for
teachers and students’ respondents was purposive sampling to obtain relevant information about the
students’ discipline cases.96 home room teachers and 500 students who were one-to-five organization
leaders purposefully selected to provide quantitative data. Unit leaders, (vice) principals and members of
PTAs were invited using census sampling method to obtain qualitative data from the entire informant
group. Analysis of quantitative data was entertained using SPSS based statistics for calculating
percentage, mean and standard deviation. Qualitative data were used to triangulate the reliability of the
data obtained by the previous means, plus to fill the gap which could be missed by the statistical tools and
procedures. Findings have shown that interference of maladaptive behaviour in the government secondary
schools has been knotty; Cheating and disturbance in the exam, and much of incidences are aggravated by
misuse of mobile technology. The problem of handling discipline in the school is too multifaceted and
complex to provide an ideal solution for all circumstances. Lack of collaboration from parents and key
stakeholders in the area of disciplining the students; administrative and timely decision making by board
of management; limitation in empowerment of unit-leaders were cause relate.; and the practice only of
warning were evidenced. Failure of wrong doer students and/or resistance of their parents to admit
decisions; lowered PTA’s attitude in responsibility area often expressed with retarded effort; and still use
of technological devices were among the challenges. Finally the need for understanding and
mainstreaming shared responsibility by various stakeholders; capacity building and empowerment
strategy; revision of criteria for school boarding and management of discipline; revise and use the past
governments’ rules, regulations and manuals; rules related mobile usage; and community advocacy by
NGOs were recommended to improve the situation.
