Our schools no longer the safe zones they were
THERE is a sad truth that we must confront as a nation. The safety of our children at school. This matter continues to rear its ugly head frequently in various forms.
Our voices are muted. We have been nothing but reactive on this burning subject. It becomes topical only when an incident is reported in the media. The violence occurs in the form of stabbings, assault, sexual assault and bullying.
South Africa’s violent crime patterns are notorious. They have taken root in our schools. An upsurge in the number of cases of violence among pupils bears testimony to this. The violation of the human rights of our pupils takes place in various forms, the most common being pupil-on-pupil abuse.
There have been many violent incidents among pupils in schools across the country. The most recent is that of Grade 10 pupil Lufuno Mavhungu, who committed suicide after she was violently beaten by a fellow pupil at Mbilwi Secondary School in Limpopo.
There is a clear indication that pupil-on-pupil violence has reached a crisis point. In some of the incidents, pupils and teachers have lost their lives. Schools are grappling with rising disciplinary issues and behavioural problems. Teachers have been stabbed by pupils. There is a concern that some of the pupils who perpetrate the crimes come from dysfunctional homes, where values, norms and principles of humanity are not instilled. This results in them resorting to all kinds of violence to seek attention.
It would seem violence is a regular occurrence in our schools. The media has played an active role in bringing some of the cases into the public domain. Others never saw the light of day, because they did not receive media coverage.
Regrettably, the teachers seem to have joined the fray. Sexual abuse of pupils by male teachers is on the rise. It has become abundantly clear that our pupils, particularly girls, are not safe in the hands of those who are entrusted to care for them. As painful and sad as it is, this is the reality we must confront.
Traditionally, school was a safe place for pupils and educators. Evidently, this is no longer the case. It is a serious predicament since most of our pupils spend more time at school than anywhere else, other than their homes.
This week there were media reports about two teachers at two schools in Gauteng who allegedly sexually assaulted female pupils. Pupils from Ivory Park schools mobilised community members and took to the streets to protest against allegations that a teacher at Umqhele Secondary School allegedly sexually assaulted a Grade 10 female pupil.
Something has gone horribly wrong in our schools. Many variables and social ills are at play. Gender inequality and the patriarchal nature of the society we live in are unfolding in the learning environment. It is sad that some female pupils have become victims of rape and gender-based violence at such an early age.
There is a need for all the roleplayers to confront safety challenges at our schools and develop a common approach to the matter. It has also become critical that law enforcement agencies continue to conduct random and unannounced visits to schools.
Police Minister Bheki Cele released the National Crime Statistics last week, reflecting the crimes reported from January 1 to the end of March this year.
Perhaps our crime statistics should start to be more specific about crimes committed at schools so that we can get a clearer picture?