Education as a public good: Justification and Avenues of values integration into Management of Ugandan school discipline

1Denis Sekiwu and 2M.M. (Nonnie) Botha

Abstract

 

 

Accepted 9^th October, 2014

 

This qualitative study employs grounded theory and the Wilsonian concept analysis, as interpretative paradigms, to examine participants’ voices on the justification and avenues of values integration into management of school discipline in Uganda. By using John Dewey’s educational philosophy [pragmatism] as the theoretical lens for the study, we found out that participants in support of values integration emphasise the need for life-education so as to form respectable leaders, maintain brotherhood and peace education, have tolerance to diversity, have a rich and relevant curriculum, lessen aggressiveness and misconduct, and character formation. But those opposed to values integration argue that educators could use the values-education programme to impart secular influences whose aims are to provide disastrous knowledge, which are the foundation of a disruptive community of learners in any school. Regarding the avenues of values integration, Ugandan schools highly use physical punishment in values integration although it is too punitive. We further found out that restorative justice is important in managing Ugandan school discipline, and it could be in the form of counselling and guidance, school and social clubs. Restorative justice could also take on a collective participatory endeavour, where the school administrators, parents, educators, learners, the community and government are all important facets in the integration of values. The study recommends that promoting life-education, requires strengthening values integration into school discipline. But ensuring such life-education requires that the government of Uganda drafts a national philosophy of education on which all educational policies and actions should be pegged.

 

Keywords: Values education, National education philosophy, John Dewey and education, Ugandan school discipline

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