Why we should now abolish boarding schools
Opinion
By
Sharon Tanui
| Nov 14, 2025
A story was told in ancient Rome by a poet known as Phaedrus. It was about a wolf and a lamb drinking from the same stream. The wolf accused the lamb of making the water dirty although the lamb's words proved otherwise. The wolf did not listen to the lamb and kept coming up with new excuses until he finally attacked the lamb, not out of hunger but out of malice and cruelty.
This fable clearly reflects how bullying is deeply rooted in our society especially in learning institutions. The character of the wolf is revealed through its accusatory words which finally "justifies" the attack on the lamb.
For a long time, students in boarding schools have suffered as a result of bullying which mostly happens secretly. The living conditions in these may appear appealing to parents/guardians but the horror in some of them is appalling.
It starts with verbal abuse, for example, children laughing at others who may appear bigger for their age, stammerers who struggle to read, children who wet their beds even late into their teenage years, a child whose uniform is torn or patched with different materials because they cannot afford a new one. The list is endless.
Form One students have for long had it rough in the hands of their seniors. Imagine to date we still have students who beat up Form Ones, give them demeaning tasks, steal their new clothes, "eat" their pocket money and in extreme cases, soak their beds with dirty water. It is unfortunate that such traumatising incidents take place in boarding schools.
READ MORE
State to create new agency on cybersecurity
Co-op Bank declares pioneer interim dividend as profit Sh22b
Lobby warns of refugee exploitation by punitive lenders
Mudavadi lauds Kenya's digital sprint as Safaricom marks 25 years
Lender deepens Kenya ties with Sh19b bet on infrastructure, energy
Dar firm tightens grip on Kenya market with Sh723m EAPC deal
Experts: Use retired Kenya Navy ships to train local seamen
How quality of land is slowing down development of housing units units
Mombasa roll out plan to deal with housing, land issues
State to accredit building sector agencies on conformity and safety
Parents delegate their parental duties to teachers which should not be the case. Not so long ago, former Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang firmly said: "We must create a way in which we can be with our children and the only way is through day schooling. The first nine years of learning, that are Grades 1 to 9, the direction that the government is taking will be day schooling".
This statement brought confusion and uproar from parents who seemed not to understand clearly the tribulations their children face in boarding schools. They have no idea that in some schools, children even go through medical negligence. Some schools still depend on painkillers as remedies for all illnesses. Yet there are those who suffer from chronic illnesses. In some schools, students are only allowed to call their parents once every month and with the class teacher eavesdropping on the calls. If they sense that a student is speaking about how they are mistreated, they beat them up.
Another reason why boarding schools should be abolished is because they can be very demoralising for students from poor backgrounds. This is evident especially during visiting and school opening days when some wealthy families use such events to show off by heavily shopping for their children, giving them a lot of pocket money and giving them sumptuous meals, yet there are students whose parents cannot afford to buy their children anything during such days. It is not fair at all.
In addition, in some boarding institutions there have been cases of sexual assault by students and even teachers, yet the victims fear reporting as that would put them in deeper trouble with the bullies. In need not mention that for years, there have been cases of arson in schools. All these point to the need to rethink boarding schools.
Ms Tanui is a communication specialist