Abstract: Sexual abuse in schools remains a persistent challenge globally, with boarding secondary schools particularly vulnerable due to residential arrangements and limited parental oversight. This study investigated the influence of safety standards and guidelines on students’ sexual abuse in public boarding secondary schools in Kitui County, in the Republic of Kenya. A descriptive survey design with mixed methods was employed, involving boarding secondary schools’ target population of 16,719 and a sample of 605 participants. The sample included 200 teachers and 400 students, with 5 education officers for the interview. Purposive (for education officers) and simple random sampling techniques (for teachers and students) were used. Data were collected through structured questionnaires for teachers and students, and interview schedules for the education officers. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed with verbatim citations to contextualize quantitative findings. The results indicated that inadequate supervision and insufficient staff training significantly increase students’ vulnerability to sexual abuse. The study highlights the critical role of effective implementation of safety standards, enhanced supervision, and functional reporting and response mechanisms in safeguarding students. The findings offer practical, evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, school administrators, and child protection stakeholders to strengthen safety interventions and protect learners in boarding schools.

Abstract: conflicts in pastoral areas have affected students’ learning resulting in high drop out rates and poor academic performance of in examinations. The research sought to investigate how provision of low-cost boarding facilities affected students’ performance in Pokot Central Sub County. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. The researcher targeted public secondary schools in Pokot Central Sub County. In the schools the researcher targeted principals, teachers and Form III students. The study used purposive sampling technique in selecting principals and simple random sampling technique in selecting form III students. The sample size represented 30% of the target population. Questionnaires and interview schedule were used as data collection instruments. The data was analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The research results showed that boarding facilities had improved academic performance of students in that it provided a safe environment for learning and it increased students’ concentration in studies. Boarding facilities provide access to education for learners from poor backgrounds and those from disaster / insecurity prone areas. Low-cost boarding facilities exposed learners to experiences beyond their local communities, thereby fostering unity, cohesion and integration. Low-cost boarding schools provided access to education for students who could not be retained in schools as a result of their parents moving from one place to another (pastoralism) and those from far areas. Therefore, the incidents of dropouts, truancy, early marriages, or accidents / attacks along the way significantly reduced. The study recommends that the government should provide security to schools in order to protect students, teachers and school property.