Practices and challenges of handling students’ disciplinary problem in jimma town governments’ secondary schools

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.