Wanjiku J. Khamasi
Chief Editor
In this 2nd issue of the Journal of African Studies in Educational Management and Leadership (JASEML) we have four articles reporting on studies conducted in Kenya. The issue addresses challenges posed by bullying in schools, sexual harassment of male students in universities, gender disparities and ownership of primary and secondary schools. These issues affect quality of education. Bullying and sexual harassment in institutions of learning affect attendance, progression, completion and performance. Gender disparities in staff recruitment and promotion affect quality of services offered by institutions. It is equally clear that conflicts between school managers and school owners/sponsors affect teaching and learning in those institutions. These factors contribute to tangible and intangible loses for Kenya and other similar nations.
In the first article, Perez Oyugi using what she refers to as ‘lens of social justice educational leadership’ interrogates school principals understanding of their roles in curbing bullying in schools in Kenya.
The second article explores various forms of sexual harassment experienced by male students in a university in Kenya. The authors observe that the types of sexual harassment subjected to male students have changed and most harassers through modern technology use short text messages and email among other channels of communication.
Gender disparities among university staff is the issue discussed in article 3 by Walter K’Odipo in a study conducted in one university campus in Kenya. The author sought to identify reasons for disparities in gender representation at the decision-making level in the university. A variety of issues are discussed. But what is clear is that most middle level female staff that joined the university particularly in the 90s had low academic qualifications that made it difficult for them to climb to a decision-making level of the university governance structure. The author observes that for the middle level female staff to rise through the career ladder, years of experience alone do not count. They must strive for higher academic credentials.
Lastly the fourth article discusses the issue of school ownership as dictated by history of education in Kenya dating back to early 1900s. The author highlights a number of unresolved issues in the management of primary and secondary schools in Kenya, which seem to impact negatively on the management of a number of public schools.