Strengthening Student Discipline Through Bi-Weekly Moral Counseling Sessions: A Case Study of Kabasanda Technical Institute

Abstract

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector constitutes a foundational element of Uganda’s middle-class development strategy. However, the sector is currently contending with a pervasive crisis of student indiscipline, which poses a significant threat to its long-term viability. In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted educational routines and exacerbated psychosocial stressors, institutions like Kabasanda Technical Institute have documented an escalation in vandalism, substance abuse, and aggression. Historically, Ugandan schools relied on corporal punishment, but the 1997 ban and the subsequent 2016 Children’s Act rendered punitive measures illegal. This legislative action consequently created a lacuna that numerous TVET institutions endeavor to address by implementing effective, non-punitive alternatives. This study investigates the efficacy of a structured intervention: bi-weekly moral counseling sessions. Transcending the conventional, reactive ‘fire-fighting’ approach to discipline, this inquiry explores the precise mechanisms through which consistent, scheduled moral dialogue may influence student behavior. Grounded in Restorative Justice Theory and recent developments in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), a framework for cultivating emotional intelligence and interpersonal competencies, the study employs a qualitative case study design. Through in-depth interviews with 15 administrators and counselors, focus group discussions with 30 students, and a three-year documentary analysis of discipline records, the study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the intervention. Findings reveal that the post-COVID landscape at Kabasanda was characterized by a “discipline deficit,” fueled by economic hardship and a lack of positive role models. The introduction of bi-weekly counseling sessions resulted in a 73% reduction in disciplinary incidents over one academic year. The study suggests that frequency and consistency may represent critical variables in the attainment of counseling success; conversely, sporadic interventions tend to prove ineffectual, whereas a structured rhythm of moral engagement appears to foster self-regulation. The article subsequently recommends the formal institutionalization of guidance departments; furthermore, it advocates a paradigm shift from a punitive framework to a restorative model, alongside increased funding for psychosocial support within TVET institutions across the Global South.