For generations, teachers in Kenya were more than educators. They were mentors, counsellors, disciplinarians, and, in some cases, surrogate parents who sacrificed their own resources to help struggling learners stay in school.
Today, however, a growing number of teachers admit they are walking away from one of their traditional roles: disciplining students.
In the wake of the tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy, questions emerged after reports suggested that some teachers had prior knowledge of plans to torch the school but allegedly failed to act. While many Kenyans condemned the silence, educators now say there is a deeper story behind their reluctance to intervene when students misbehave.
Several teachers who spoke anonymously revealed that fear—not indifference—is driving their decisions.
“There are students we can correct immediately, and there are those we wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole,” one teacher disclosed.
According to her, some parents openly warn teachers against disciplining their children, while others boast about their connections to powerful institutions.
“Some students tell us their parents are lawyers or police officers and that they can have us arrested if we dare punish them,” she said.
As a result, many educators have developed a survival strategy: teach the lesson and avoid confrontation.
One teacher recalled a nightmare experience during her teaching practice. After catching two boys smoking in a pit latrine, she reported the matter. Instead of being praised, she found herself facing complaints from an angry parent who arrived at school accompanied by a lawyer.
The teacher was even forced to pay for medical tests to prove the boy had used drugs. Although the student later admitted to smoking and was eventually caught selling narcotics, the damage had already been done. The Teachers Service Commission had interdicted the teacher.
“On my first day at another school, we were quietly given a list of students considered untouchable. We called them ‘transparent students.’ No matter what they did, teachers were expected to look the other way,” she revealed.
Another teacher shared a disturbing case involving a Grade Five pupil who allegedly groped female classmates and openly demonstrated sexual acts in class. Despite reporting the behaviour to school administrators, no action was taken.
The complaints continued until one parent confronted the school. Shockingly, the teacher who had raised the alarm became the target and eventually lost her job.
“The administration was more concerned about keeping parents happy than protecting learners,” she said.
Many educators say even mild forms of punishment that were once common—such as picking litter, washing dining halls, or performing supervised chores—are now frequently labelled as humiliation.
Some school heads have reportedly warned teachers that if disciplinary action leads to conflict with parents, they will be left to defend themselves.
“Our principal told us plainly: if a parent comes after you because you disciplined their child, you are on your own,” one teacher recalled.
The fear is not always theoretical. One educator claimed that a police officer once displayed a firearm while warning school staff not to interfere with his daughters.
Yet not every teacher backs down.
One tutor recounted standing her ground after correcting a student who later threatened to have her fired. The girl’s mother arrived at school in tears, accusing the teacher of mistreatment. Rather than apologise, the teacher defended her actions and prepared herself for dismissal.
To her surprise, the school administration sided with her.
Still, such victories appear increasingly rare.
Another teacher described working in a school where students openly ignored instructions, skipped assemblies, and abused drugs. Parents rarely attended meetings and often responded to complaints with insults.
“I eventually transferred. In my current school, discipline issues are minimal because parents and teachers work together,” she said.
For many educators, the lesson has become painfully simple: protect your job first.
As the relationship between parents and teachers continues to evolve, many fear that discipline—once considered a shared responsibility between home and school—is becoming a battleground where teachers have everything to lose and very little support to gain.
And in classrooms across the country, some educators say they have adopted a new motto: teach, leave, and avoid trouble at all costs.
