KES headmaster David Lovatt says extended school time can reduce exposure to harmful environments fueling violent behaviour.
“Children should spend most of their time in school to ensure they become disciplined and manageable.”
This is according to David Lovatt, headmaster of King Edward VII School (KES) in Johannesburg, who was commenting on the violent behaviour that is rampant in schools throughout the country.
South Africa’s schools are facing a high number of cases relating to violent behaviour in which children are killing each other and attacking teachers.
SA schools facing high number of violent behaviour
Pupils have formed gangs and some individuals are attacking others with dangerous weapons like knives, screwdrivers, hammers and sharp objects.
Recently, six pupils were arrested in connection with the stabbing to death of a pupil at Humansdorp Senior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape.
The teenagers, whose ages range from 16 to 18, allegedly killed Liyolo Wakeni during a fight that took place on the school premises.
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A few months ago, the principal of Hoërskool Roodepoort was stabbed on her hand while trying to stop a fight between pupils from different schools.
Lovatt, who is the leader of what is said to be one of the most disciplined schools in South Africa, explained the strategies he thinks could assist in quelling school violence, which has already claimed the lives of many pupils.
“If we can emulate what is happening in other countries, especially in Europe and the US, most children spend most of their time in school, which means they don’t have enough time to interact with the communities.
KES headmaster urges longer school hours
“This assists the children to minimise chances of emulating bad habits and violent behaviour happening within communities.
“In South Africa, there are many factors contributing to the behaviour of a child. Especially the violent behaviour displayed by the pupils from rural and township schools.
“I am not saying all these schools have this problem, what I am saying is that socioeconomic problems, such as unemployment and poverty, contribute to it.
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“If there was a way of making sure that the children I am talking about spend most of their time in schools, they will not witness what is happening in their broken families and communities.
“If we can extend school hours from 7am to 5pm to enhance supervision and support learning continuity, it would help.”
While he commended some of the leaders of well-managed schools in townships and rural communities, Lovatt urged teachers to be disciplined themselves and become role models for the children.
School discipline
According to Lovatt, if a school is properly managed and the staff members treat one another with respect, discipline comes naturally.
Asked how he managed to instil discipline at his school, he said most pupils stay on the school premises, as it is also a boarding school.
“When they spend most of their time here, we monitor them and attend to their problems. For example, if a child steals, we will investigate and find out why.
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“Some children do that because at home they failed to provide such a thing, while others are just being naughty.
After we intervene and try to assist that child, if they do it again we expel them because it means they are just a criminal.”
He said high unemployment rates, which lead to alcohol and drug abuse, also contributed to the negative behaviour of pupils because they place them in harmful environments that impact classroom behaviour.
Collaborative effort
The fight against the violent behaviour of pupils requires a collaborative effort from parents, school governing bodies, police, members of the Community Policing Forum, teachers and pupils themselves.
He said every school needs a metal detector at the gate to make sure no weapons are entering the school yard.
At KES, there is a metal detector and they also hired a private security company to make sure that there is law and order.
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“Cellphone policy in schools should also be strengthened because it eliminates distractions. We also need experienced teachers who understand how to manage these children.
“Unfortunately, most experienced teachers are forced to leave as soon as they reach their 60s, while other well-qualified teachers are unemployed.”
The headmaster urged parents and teachers to play their role, which is to talk to their children about the importance of being disciplined, wearing a uniform, and doing their school work.
Role of school uniform
He said a school uniform played a critical role in making sure that the children are disciplined.
The third quarter crime statistics released by the South African Police Service revealed that in South African schools between October and December last year there were seven murders, 24 attempted murders, 252 cases of assault/grievous bodily harm and 61 rapes on the premises of schools, universities, colleges, day care/after care facilities.
Dieketseng Diale, an activist in the fight against bullying in schools, said there was a need to educate children on how to resolve issues without violence.
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Her organisation, Lady of Peace Community Foundation in Centurion, educates children and communities about the importance of peace.
“In school, our focus is to give lessons about peace and positive leadership. The principals undergo a three-month training and impart what they learned to pupils and teachers.
“We give children small diaries to record their daily feelings and problems in the form of drawings and texts.
“When social workers come, they read the diaries and follow up with advice and emotional support. We also have experts in schools to assist children immediately.”
