Influence of Principals’ Enforcement Toileting Practices on Safety of Students in Public Secondary Schools in Kangema Sub-County, Murang’a County, Kenya

Julius Mwangi Irungu and Pamela Ochieng
School of Education
Mount Kenya University
Email: juliusirungu21@gmail.com

Abstract: Principals’ toileting practices play a key role in creating a safe environment in schools. However, in many public secondary schools in Kangema Sub-County, there have been cases of injury, food poisoning and death still being reported. The study sought to determine how principals’ toileting practices influence the safety of students in public secondary schools in Kangema Sub-County. The study adopted mixed methodology and concurrent triangulation research design. Target population was 1463 respondents which comprised 27 principals, 1434 teachers and 2 Sub-County Directors of Education (SCDEs) from which a sample of 312 respondents was determined using Yamane’s Formula. This consisted of 20 principals, 290 teachers and 2 SCDEs. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically along the objectives and presented in narrative form. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages and inferentially using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Analysis in Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS 25) and presented using tables. The study found that students’ safety in public secondary schools has been a major concern due to reported cases of food poisoning, injuries and outbreaks of sanitation diseases. To mitigate these challenges, principals have embraced toileting practices like provision of tissue papers, control of the use of the urinal, bowel control, wearing of shoes or sandals while using the toilet and provision of toilet cleaning detergents. However, much is yet to be realized in improving students’ safety in schools. Hence, principals should ensure schools have adequate toilets as per the number of students and enforce stricter adherence to toileting rules and regulations.