ABSTRACT
Caning for many years has been the most common form of punishment used by communities as well as schools to correct human behaviour. In Kenya, it was used in schools until April 2001 when it was officially banned by the government. The ban was abrupt hence leading to a long drawn controversy. This study set out to investigate the influence of the ban of corporal punishment on level of student discipline in secondary schools. It attempted to address two objectives; investigate the state of discipline in secondary schools before and after the ban of corporal punishment. This study is significant as it may assist the government to come up with policies on training of teachers on the use of alternative methods of managing student discipline. The study was guided by McGregor’s theory X and theory Y of Motivation as well as J.F Skinners Reinforcement Theory. The study was a descriptive survey covering ten secondary schools with a total respondent of 238 that comprised of 10 head teachers, 10 deputy head teachers, 10 teachers, 9 guidance and counseling teachers and 199 students in Eldoret Municipality. Questionnaires, observation and interview schedules were used for data collection. The data obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings from the study revealed that there was an increase in cases of indiscipline among students after the ban of corporal punishment. From the findings, it was concluded that corporal punishment seemed a more effective method of managing student discipline. The study recommends that the government should put mechanisms in place to prepare teachers adequately for management of student discipline in the absence of corporal punishment.