Nairobi

A pupil is caned severely by her teacher and, in tears, rushes home and fetches her mother. Together, they return to school to seek an explanation.

But the mother suffers great indignation - oral abuse and assault in the hands of another teacher - right before her own child.

There could be nothing more humiliating than what this parent and daughter underwent at Mukambi Primary School in Butere-Mumias District.

The episode raises many questions. Firstly, a Ministry of Education directive banned corporal punishment several years ago. So the teacher was in the wrong.

Second, parents and teachers should enjoy cordial relationships, for none can succeed without the other. When a parent is beaten up by a teacher, then something is terribly wrong with such an establishment.

Which leads to the question, what kind of teachers are engaged at Mukambi? How come there was no man or woman reasonable enough to listen to the mother and her daughter?

The actions by the two teachers are those of bullies who have scant respect for mothers or their daughters - because they are women. When such a prejudiced lot is left to mould the future of our children, then Kenya is in deep trouble.

The violations in question are of criminal nature, which is why the police must intervene. If they have not already arrested the two teachers, they must expedite the process.

In the meantime, Mukambi administrators and district education officers should establish why the teachers behaved the way they did, and punish them.

It is such elements that bring shame to the teaching profession, and casts doubt on the gains made in educating Kenyans about simple things like etiquette and common decency.

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