Authors : Monicah Achieng’ Odero; Jason Assanga Omufwoko

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 8 - August

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26aug385

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Abstract : Student unrest remains a persistent challenge in Kenyan secondary schools, often resulting in disrupted learning, destruction of property, injuries, insecurity, and weakened relationships among learners, teachers, parents, and school administrators. Although unrest is frequently treated as a problem of student indiscipline, its recurrence points to broader moral, relational, and institutional weaknesses within both the home and school environments. This article examined the moral responsibilities of parents and teachers in preventing and addressing student unrest in secondary schools in Kenya. The study was guided by Nel Noddings’ Ethics of Care Theory, which emphasises attentiveness, dialogue, moral modelling, responsiveness, and caring relationships in the development of responsible behaviour. A qualitative narrative literature review design was adopted. Data were drawn from peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports, education legislation, policy documents, and publications addressing student unrest, parental involvement, teacher–student relationships, discipline, guidance and counselling, and learner participation. The literature was analysed thematically. The findings revealed that parents and teachers have complementary moral responsibilities in moral modelling and character formation, early identification of learner distress, open communication, guidance and counselling, fair discipline, learner participation, and cooperation between the home and school. Parents are responsible for providing continuous moral guidance, supervision, emotional support, and consistent correction, while teachers are expected to exercise authority fairly, listen to learners, identify warning signs, and provide supportive and corrective interventions. The review further established that punishment alone cannot sustainably prevent unrest unless it is accompanied by dialogue, counselling, accountability, and attention to learners’ legitimate welfare concerns. The article concludes that student unrest should not be attributed exclusively to either parents or teachers. Effective prevention requires shared responsibility, regular parent–teacher communication, trusted grievance-reporting mechanisms, strengthened counselling services, fair disciplinary procedures, and meaningful learner participation. Schools should therefore adopt preventive and restorative approaches that combine care, accountability, moral guidance, and institutional responsiveness.

Keywords : Ethics of Care, Moral Responsibility, Parental Involvement, Secondary Schools, Student Discipline, Student Unrest, Teacher–Student Relationships, Kenya.

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