Schools Raise Alarm Over Social Media, AI Use as Principal Urges Politicians to Keep Campaigns Away
Hill School Principal Naftali Mibei speaks during an education engagement, urging politicians and political aspirants to keep campaigns away from schools to protect learners' concentration and learning environment.
By HubzMedia Reporter
Education stakeholders are raising concern over the growing and often unsupervised use of smartphones, social media and artificial intelligence among children, warning that excessive or inappropriate use of technology could interfere with learning, expose learners to harmful content and undermine their ability to think independently.
The concerns have gained renewed attention following a petition by two parents to Parliament seeking stronger safeguards around social media use among school-going children.
The petitioners, Mugo Wa Kanyiri (Jimmy Mugo) and John Wainaina Macharia, who describe themselves as parents of teenagers and representatives of Koelel Forces Academy and Garrison Senior School, want Parliament to consider measures aimed at protecting minors from harmful online content, cyberbullying, excessive social media use and other emerging digital risks.
The petition was received by the Clerk of the National Assembly on August 10, 2026.
The debate comes at a time when social media has become an increasingly important part of young people’s lives. UNICEF’s Disrupting Harm research in Kenya found that 51 per cent of internet-using children aged 12–17 reported using social media weekly, with usage rising from 33 per cent among those aged 12–13 to 63 per cent among those aged 16–17.
While stakeholders acknowledge that technology can support learning, communication and creativity, they warn that children need proper guidance to distinguish productive digital engagement from excessive or harmful use.
AI Use Raises Concern
At Hill School, the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Management, Antonina Inyangala, urged parents to take a more active role in monitoring how children use smartphones and social media.
Inyangala also cautioned against excessive reliance on artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT when completing school assignments.
He said that although AI can be a useful learning aid, students should not allow technology to replace research, analysis, problem-solving and independent thinking.
“Technology should support learning, not replace the learner’s ability to think, reason and come up with their own solutions,” Inyangala said.
He called on parents and schools to establish reasonable boundaries around technology use while teaching children responsible digital behaviour.
The concerns mirror broader child online safety challenges identified by the Communications Authority of Kenya, including cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content and other emerging digital threats.
The Authority has developed the Industry Guidelines on Child Online Protection and Safety in Kenya, 2025, as part of efforts to strengthen safeguards for children in the digital environment.
Parents Urged to Take Greater Responsibility
Inyangala said protecting children in the digital age should not be left to schools or government agencies alone, arguing that parents have an important role in setting expectations at home and following up on how children spend their time online.
He urged parents to engage children in conversations about responsible technology use rather than simply restricting access to digital devices.
Stakeholders are also calling for stronger cooperation between parents, teachers, government agencies, technology companies and communities to ensure that digital technology remains an educational tool rather than becoming a source of distraction and harm.
UNICEF has previously cautioned that age restrictions alone may not be sufficient to protect children online, advocating for a broader approach that combines child protection, digital literacy, parental guidance and safer online environments.
Warning Over Drug Exposure Through Digital Platforms
The Hill School administration has also raised concern over the potential exposure of young people to drug-related content and harmful influences through digital platforms.
School authorities are urging parents and teachers to remain vigilant and engage children openly about the risks associated with harmful online influences.
The Kenya Film Classification Board has similarly urged parents and caregivers to take an active role in monitoring the content children access through social media, broadcast platforms and other digital channels.
Principal Appeals to Politicians
Meanwhile, Hill School Principal Naftali Mibei has appealed to politicians and political aspirants to keep their campaigns and political activities away from school environments.
Mibei said schools should remain protected spaces for learning, particularly as learners prepare for important national assessments.
He urged political leaders and aspirants to avoid conducting campaigns around schools, warning that such activities could distract learners and interfere with the learning environment.
His remarks come as learners prepare for the 2026 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
Mibei called on political leaders to respect school environments and give learners the peace and tranquillity they need to concentrate on their studies.
“Our schools should remain spaces for learning. At this critical time, our learners need concentration and a peaceful environment as they prepare for their assessments,” Mibei said.
He further urged parents to support learners by creating conducive study environments at home and monitoring their children’s use of phones and social media.
Balancing Technology and Learning
Education stakeholders say the challenge is not to keep children away from technology altogether but to ensure that they use it safely, responsibly and productively.
With digital learning becoming an increasingly important component of education, stakeholders argue that children need digital literacy skills alongside traditional academic skills.
The emphasis, they say, should be on helping learners understand how to use technology as a tool for research, creativity, communication and learning without allowing it to replace their own intellectual effort.
For schools such as Hill School, the message is therefore one of balance: technology should open doors to knowledge and innovation without compromising learners’ concentration, creativity, values or independent thinking.
Stakeholders are now calling on parents, teachers, policymakers, technology companies and communities to work together in creating a safer digital environment for children while ensuring that technology continues to serve its intended purpose — enhancing learning rather than undermining it.
About Author
