JERUSALEM – Bringing back corporal punishment in schools could help curb gangsterism and improve pupils’ safety when they are at school. This is a view shared by several parents and schoolchildren around Masoyi where fighting and bullying among their peers have become the norm.
“When our children leave for school in the morning, all we do is pray and hope that they’ll come home safe and sound. There’s a lot going on at schools these days, drug abuse, armed learners and many other dangerous acts happen daily and I believe that if these pupils were to be given a hiding for misbehaving, the rate of gangsterism, which has escalated, could go down,” said concerned parent, Ms Evelyn Mzimba.
A vexed learner from Jerusalem High also supported this notion saying many pupils were getting out of control because the punishment they received for being mischievous was not fitting.
“Feeling safe at school is a thing of the past. Learners are unruly and ill-disciplined and I suppose if corporal punishment was still practised, things would be better. I know I’ll get my head bitten off for saying this, but we were never ready for other privileges as the youth in this country,” she said.
At Jerusalem High, a learner shot two of his peers just outside the school gate before fleeing the scene recently. Police are still searching for him while the two are recovering in hospital.
Confirming the incident, Const Naniki Nonyane from Masoyi Police said they were perplexed by the increase in bullying and gangsterism at schools around that area.
“We have tried random searches, raids and surprise visits to schools, but we decided to put it on hold after learners had smashed windows during a police raid at Siphumelele Secondary earlier this year. We are concerned about the safety of these pupils who could easily get hurt while trying to get away from the police,”
Nonyane said, adding that the Department of Education should come up with an intervention that will work for every party involved.
She said they had been dealing with cases of that nature in several institutions around the area, including Sakhile and Siphumelele secondary schools.
However, others think drug abuse is to be blamed for all the chaos taking place at the schools.
“Young children use drugs which cause them to do irrational things that put others at risk, but bringing back corporal punishment is not the solution. The community should stand up and say enough is enough. We must work with the police to bust all the dealers who are demeaning our children’s minds,” said parent, Mr Zakhele Mhlongo.
The Department of Education’s spokesperson, Mr Jasper Zwane said, “The department is equally concerned about the recent incidents of gangsterism that were reported at two of our schools namely in Masoyi and Mjindi. To this effect, it has directed the unit that facilitates the integrated school-safety programme to move with speed in gathering information on what constitutes this trend and to work with the local stakeholders to address it.
“The department wishes to take this opportunity to send a strong warning to pupils who are in these gangs that their conduct will not be tolerated and should it be found that they are on the wrong side of the law, the law will take its course.
It also requests parents to talk to their children about the consequences of participating in such unlawful activities before it is too late,” he said.
