The lack of discipline at schools is not a school problem.
It is a community problem and addressing it will mean that the wider context of the South African society has to be taken into account.
“This insight into the ongoing almost systemic problem at schools is both welcome and calls for greater cooperation between various bodies working in this field,” says Lee Loynes, CEO of Girls and Boys Town (GBT).
Lee was responding to the outcomes of a meeting held recently in Boksburg, which touched on the problem of discipline.
It was attended by officials, researchers, representatives from school governing bodies, teacher unions and religious organisations.
“Look at the context – the youth soon will be the major part of the population since almost 30 per cent of South Africa’s population are 15 years old or younger, according to the mid-year population estimate of StatsSA.
“And 10 per cent of the 53 million people in the country are younger than five years,” says Lee.
To make matters worse, only 36 per cent of children are living with their biological parents although 93 per cent of the parents are still alive, while 60 per cent benefit from social grants.
On top of this, racial disparities remain huge.
For example 40 per cent of black children have access to a flush toilet against 97 per cent of white children, 27 per cent has access to piped water in their homes as against Indian children at 97 per cent.
All of this, combined with very often inadequate teaching, has a direct influence on how children behave and explains some of the problems seen in the schooling system.
Against this background, it is not surprising that there is ill-discipline in schools, teachers abusing children, pupils threatening teachers, and more of the same.
“What is to be done?,” asks Lee.
One answer, heard more often and at the Boksburg conference, is that discipline starts at home and it is not primarily up to teachers.
There is a good deal of truth in this approach but this assumes that there is a parent around who can set the example for their children and discipline them. However, this is not an assumption that can be made given that only around one third of children have both parents at home – and too often, the single parent works long hours and is not at home at hours convenient for parenting.
Girls and Boys Town has been around for more than 50 years and can assist through structured educational training workshops in all nine provinces, which will involve caregivers, parents, principals, teachers and pupils.
But of similar importance is the help that can be given when questions of discipline arise.
“This should be of interest to principals and teachers. We call it The Well-Managed Classroom, which is aimed specifically at teaching educators how to handle difficult classroom situations,” says Lee.
“While our youth, for a multiplicity of reasons, face very real problems, it is possible to get help. The Training and Resource Centres of Girls and Boys Town will be happy to help.”
For the Gauteng/Inland regions the number is 011 482 2655 and for the Western Cape/ Coastal regions it is 021-200-8024.
“There is help available – just use it,” says Lee.
