Abuse and violence in schools has become an endemic problem, exacerbated by the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recent headlines of violence in several schools have once again shone a light on the issue, with calls for parents to play a more active role in teaching their children problem-solving skills and conflict resolution.
In Alexandra, learners at Realogile High School took to the streets a few days ago after a fellow pupil stabbed the deputy principal. Pupils vented their frustration over their safety and the disruptions to learning.
Last week, a teacher at a school in Mtunzini in KwaZulu-Natal was shot several times while driving her car. She is recovering in hospital.
On the same day, a principal at Msunduzi Secondary School was gunned down while trying to resolve an apparent domestic dispute. The principal was shot when a man stormed the school premises threatening to shoot his wife – an educator at the school.
Department of Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said it was difficult to give an accurate figure of how many incidents have taken place, but admitted there has been a sharp rise in reported cases of school violence.
Elijah Mhlanga, Department of Basic Education spokesperson:
This has been happening since learners returned to normal programming after rotational classes during COVID-19. During the pandemic, there was relatively peace and harmony in schools, but when learners returned, we saw a spike in that.
Some are saying it could be the stresses of COVID-19 and the tragedies of people losing their loved ones and their teachers. What we know is that it’s really bad.
Incidents of violence in schools were relatively under the radar until the rise in social media.
Two weeks ago, a disgruntled learner at a KwaZulu-Natal school, angered over the confiscation of his cellphone, left the premises only to return and set the deputy principal’s car alight.
A video showing the incident went viral on social media.
Juane van der Merwe, Deputy CEO and head of legal at FEDSAS:
Because of social media, these incidents are spreading wider and we’re getting more of an idea of what’s happening in schools. Because of COVID-19, we saw an increase in domestic violence in the home and families were left without incomes, making children extremely vulnerable. These issues affect their behavior and when they return to school, that’s when we start to see kids lashing out.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) has warned that teachers are under immense stress due to the conditions they’re exposed to. This will have far-reaching consequences on the education system.
Nomusa Cembi, SADTU spokesperson:
We cannot blame the learners alone. As Sadtu, we feel the issue should bring together all stakeholders in education. What learners project in school comes from the home and the community. Schools are there to ensure discipline, but it’s become harder to instil discipline. When you try to put these policies in place, the parents don’t abide by them and often take the side of the learner.
In the current context, teachers are also expected to play a multitude of roles, to give support to children from poor, marginalised, and violent communities.
Linda Shezi, SA Principals Association general secretary:
The context in which schools exist is one of a violent society. Our children lack role models that will show them how to deal with conflict or situations of discomfort. Schools are trying to insist on certain codes of behaviour and children are rebelling against that.
Teaching is a job of connectivity. Shezi believes this must be understood before the core issues can be resolved.
Linda Shezi, SA Principals Association general secretary:
If you do not connect with the learners, very little learning will happen in the classroom. What’s happening now is going to disconnect our teachers from learners more and more. When you’re dealing with this disconnect, you will not be able to deliver the curriculum.
So we need to focus on how we re-connect with our children, how do we foster a culture of positive relationships, before we can talk about lessons and what’s been taught. Until we really sort out the needs of children first, we can forget about the top level of self actualisation, because the basic stuff is not being taken care of. This is a societal thing that requires stakeholders to rally behind our children.
-EWN
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