The study was carried out on school policy commitments to staff and students’ welfare in public secondary schools in Iganga District, Uganda with focus on: the indicators of need for school policy commitment to teachers and students’ welfare as well as establishing the effect in a qualitative approach using interviews. The findings indicate that effective school discipline procedures support kids’ decision-making and academic attention. Teenagers that receive sex education are better able to grasp their biological makeup and become more mature. Thus, the sex education policy aids in informing and educating children about puberty and gives them confidence to speak up when boundaries are crossed. Breakfast and lunch are provided to every student in practically every public secondary school. An after-school snack and dinner are also offered to those taking part in extra-curricular activities. Therefore, students are better able to concentrate on studying when they feel comfortable. Students need to be disciplined to make significant academic progress, yet many institutions struggle in this area. Results show that teachers who emphasize timelines in finishing activities end up failing to finish syllabi.

The study was intended to establish the effect of school security and safety on learners’ academic performance in selected primary schools in Majanji Sub County, Busia District. With intent to find out the factors influencing learners’ academic performance as well as identifying the strategies in place to cater for school security and also determine the effect of school security strategies on learners’ academic performance. Findings showed cases of early pregnancies or early marriages, failure to consider children’s rights and presence of learners with emotional problems. Conclusively, an unsafe school is more likely to result in students who have emotional problems, particularly direct victims of violence or bullying. Consider setting up a hotline to allow victims and witnesses to report occurrences in confidence. Some public schools are increasingly enforcing uniforms for all pupils, just like private institutions. Thus, the study recommends that schools work with the parents together with development partners and government to put up security systems in schools for learners’ safety.

A student as agent of change in the curriculum design and implementation, involvement and participation in the secondary schools is of critical importance. The need to adopt and change to a competency learning approach that meets the needs of the student, and members of the community. To further scholarly understanding of, and appreciation for, students voice in decision making, participation, student participation in participatory design, as well as and student partnership in curriculum design and implementation. This paper clarifies the unique contributions of each, shaped by differing contexts of interaction, and articulate issues arising by confounding and conflating partnership and representation in the name of student voice. Advancing an argument for an ecosystem of student participation grounded in student voice, we warn of the harm in positioning student partners as speaking for other students and the risk of diminishing the importance of elected student representation systems in favor of staff selected student partner models of student representation.