| dc.description.abstract | Discipline is the epicenter of success in school and prefects have a crucial role to play in school
administration. Despite the involvement of students’ leaders, indiscipline cases have been on the
rise as is manifested in the burning of schools. The researcher hence embarked on establishing
the role of prefects in enhancing discipline in public secondary schools. The study was carried
out in Embu West District, Embu County. The objectives of this study were, to find out the
duties of prefects in enhancing discipline in secondary schools, the extent of perfects
involvement in students’ indiscipline, training of prefects on enhancing discipline and ways of
improving the performance of prefects in carrying out their duties in public secondary schools in
Embu west district. To achieve these objectives the researcher used structured questionnaires for
prefects and guidance and counseling teachers and deputy principals.
Descriptive statistics entailing frequencies and percentages were used for data analysis. The
study findings revealed that prefects were in charge of maintaining discipline and order in their
respective classes as well as schools. This was confirmed by 50% of the deputy principles, 50%
of Guiding and counseling teachers and 53.2% of the prefects. In ensuring that school rules are
adhered to by fellow students and helping teachers maintain discipline, 39.2% of the prefects
responded positively. These responsibilities were noted to enhance discipline in schools. The
duties assigned to prefects enhance discipline in secondary schools; this is because their duties
entail maintaining discipline and order in their respective classes, dining hall (16.67% of deputy
principles), and dormitory (16.67% of deputy principles) and in the school compound (16.67% of
deputy principles). Regarding the extent to which involvement of prefects in dealing with
students’ indiscipline in public secondary Schools 50% agreed, and 33.33% strongly agreed that
prefects are involved in solving indiscipline issues that can be solved without the assistance of
teachers, by listening to their fellow student complains. The common causes of student
indiscipline were peer influence (33.89%) drug abuse (32.04%), conflicting school rules
(11.65%), poor management (11.65%) and media influence (10.68%). Training plays a major
role in equipping prefects with leadership skills, student conflict management skills in school
and Arbitration skills .Based on study findings it is recommended that prefect’s duties need to
be clearly defined by school management to avoid conflict with their fellow students, that
prefects should be trained on management skills, leadership skills, negotiation and peer
counseling in order to execute their duties as prefects and that there is need to have school
forums where all students are involved and sensitized on the role of prefects | en_US |
