Strategies of managing student discipline in secondary schools in gulu district

The issue of student discipline is a pervasive and constant challenge. Secondary schools in Gulu District have also suffered alarming deterioration in student discipline in the past decade. This study aimed at establishing relationship between school ownership and strategies of managing student discipline in Gulu District with specific objectives of identifying strategies used in managing student discipline. Cross-sectional parallel sample survey design was used in the study with both qualitative and quantitative orientation. Target population consisted of headteachers, teachers and students with 377 respondents sampled. Questionnaire survey and key informants interview were used as techniques; interview guide and questionnaires as research instruments for data collection respectively. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Frequencies and percentages were used. The results showed that strategies of managing student discipline in secondary schools in Gulu district included rewards, punishment, communication, and counselling. The researchers concluded that strategies of managing student discipline in secondary schools in Gulu District include rewards, punishment, communication and counselling and both faith-based and non faith-based schools in Gulu district use similar strategies of managing student discipline. Recommendations were made that policies on discipline management be streamlined, implementers should balance all the strategies and researchers should delve further into each strategy of managing student discipline.