Violence will tear our education system asunder

Counting the number of violent incidents involving teachers and learners at schools since the start of 2022, one would think schools have been turned into nothing more than unruly rehabilitation centres for delinquent children.

Concerned church and community leaders also appear worried by the prevailing tension between teachers and learners. Many of them openly admit that what is going behind the entrance gates at our schools of late is something previously unheard of in the history of the country’s education.

“Such incidents were not evident when we were learners at our schools,” remarked a few of the retired school leaders.

Their views on the respect they had for their educators would shock today’s learners.

“Your class teacher was given the same formal respect and honour as your father at home. We all know that school teachers and priests were among the most respected members of any community,” added the retired team of high school principals.

There is also a strong belief among the local community, religious circles and cultural leaders that the disregard of parents and authority displayed by learners is rooted in the erosion of family values.

The general consensus is that society must adopt a willingness to become the change it wants to see or be at risk of being sucked into the vortex of lawlessness. Each one of us has to start with ourselves.

What is even scarier about some of these violent fights between teachers and learners is that they also tend to infringe on the rights of both the victim and the perpetrator.

The attacks are also a result of sheer insubordination or insolence by both parties in violation of the rights of the aggrieved victim and a total disregard for the rules and policies of the school.

Among the many such violations include the ‘Ninja Killer’ student, Morne Harmse, who was recently released on parole after serving 14 of a 20-year sentence for murder and attempted murder.

In 2008, the then 18-year-old Krugersdorp learner, dressed in what was described as a disturbing mask and armed with a samurai sword, stabbed his classmate to death and wounded three other people.

According to a legal researcher at Section 27, Mila Harding said that teachers are not adequately trained and equipped to discipline children in schools.

There are also reports of plans by Section 27, which is a public interest law centre, to take the South African Council of Educators to court later this year.

The organisation has accused the teachers’ body of not training teachers to discipline pupils, without the use of violence or corporal punishment.

In another case of violence by a learner happened in the Free State eight years ago, when a 15-year-old schoolboy brought his father’s firearm to school. Later on, the boy later produced the weapon in class and threatened a female learner.

When the class teacher noticed this and intervened, a shot went off. The teacher was shot in the leg.

National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) argued that the Basic Education Department is neither coping nor helping teachers to deal with undisciplined children in the classrooms.

According to the 2012 National Schools Violence Survey, Naptosa pointed out that over 50% of educators were exposed to verbal abuse by learners. The teachers’ body put the blame on education authorities for “turning a blind eye to the problem” and accused the education officials of “passing the buck on to the schools and principals”.

The study also showed that 12.4% of teachers were exposed to physical violence and 3.3% were exposed to sexual violence perpetrated by learners.

Almost 11 years after that survey, schools in our communities are still trying to find solutions to this problem of violence that threatens to tear our education system asunder and destroy the future of our children.