Schools should correct learners without undermining their dignity, Mariam High School Head Teacher Hajjat Rehemah Kisitu has said, urging educators to replace punitive disciplinary practices with restorative approaches that build character and responsibility.
Speaking on Omukeze on Salam TV, hosted by Umaru Kikaye, Kisitu said discipline is a core component of education that extends beyond academic achievement.
“Disciplining children is not merely about enforcing rules or punishing misbehavior; it is a critical process of teaching self-regulation, respect, and responsibility,” she said.
Kisitu argued that the way schools respond to mistakes shapes the kind of adults students eventually become. She recommended practical approaches that focus on correction rather than punishment, including setting clear expectations, calmly reteaching rules when they are broken and applying logical consequences that relate directly to a learner's behaviour.
“Use logical consequences that connect directly to the behavior, like having a student fix what they disrupted,” she said.
She also encouraged teachers to give students choices and responsibilities that foster respect and ownership while strengthening teacher-student relationships and recognising positive behaviour.
“Students cooperate more with teachers they trust. The goal is to correct the action, keep the student’s dignity, and help learning continue,” she added.
Kisitu warned that harsh disciplinary practices at school, combined with similar treatment at home, are causing some learners to avoid returning home altogether.
She said discipline should strike a balance between accountability and empathy, ensuring that correction promotes personal growth instead of humiliation.
“School discipline is a fundamental pillar of education, yet its application remains one of the most debated topics among educators and parents. While the primary goal of discipline is to create a safe and orderly environment conducive to learning, the methods used must balance accountability with empathy, ensuring that correction serves as a tool for growth rather than a source of humiliation,” she said.
Kisitu linked her remarks to the implementation of Uganda's competency-based curriculum, which emphasises active learning over rote memorisation.
She said the new curriculum requires students to become active participants in their education, making it important for schools to adopt disciplinary approaches that promote maturity, responsibility and personal development rather than fear.
“The curriculum presents a paradigm shift from rote memorization to competency-based learning, demanding that students become active participants in their own education rather than passive recipients of information for a better adulthood,” she said.
Her remarks come amid growing calls from education stakeholders for schools to adopt discipline models that prioritise guidance, restoration and positive behaviour as they align school culture with the objectives of the revised curriculum.
