BARBERTON – Learners, community and pastors from two local schools appealed for divine intervention and peace and safety to prevail in the area.
Mjindini Secondary and Ekucathuzeni Primary School gathered in prayer during the Mjindini alumni reunion held at the community hall and pastors from different churches prayed for the learners and teachers.
It was also in reaction to local schools being labelled notorious due to certain individuals who lack morals as learners and educators face many challenges, especially with regards to safety.
This comes after Kamhola Secondary School made headlines following a video which was circulated on social media, showing an unarmed learner being stabbed by other pupils during a lunch break. A learner was admitted to Barberton General Hospital for a superficial stab would but later discharged.
The video left many residents, which included learners, especially parents, shocked as some indicated that they no longer felt that their children were safe.
They raised different views.Ms Sebenzile Mabaso said,
“As parents, we are very disturbed about the video. It shows that our children are misbehaving in schools. I think it’s because they are taking advantage because no one will punish them for their wrongdoings as corporal punishment has been banned.
“It’s about time the department reversed the system and reintroduce corporal punishment because they can’t do as they please,” she said.
Mr Hopewell Mthethwa said,
“I think lack of respect at home contribute a lot to our kids’ misbehaviour in school. I think it’s about time schools beefed up their security so that such incidents don’t happen again.”
A learner, who requested to speak on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, told this paper that indeed they were facing many challenges in school.
“At school, there are those people who are untouchable because they belong to certain groups. I believe schools have to be a user-friendly environment regardless of your gender,” she concluded.
A grade 11 learner of KaMhola Secondary School, Sibusiso Madonsela, told one of our sister publications, Barberton Times, that one of the two suspended learners started a fight with another learner and the other emptied a container of urine on him.
The two traded blows and a large crowd of cheering learners gathered around them.
