‘Deal with out-of-control pupils’
Teachers’ unions berate Education Department
THE Department of Education has been criticised for alleged leniency in implementing disciplinary action against badly behaved pupils and perpetrators of violence at schools. Teachers’ unions say that out-of-control pupils should be expelled.
This followed an incident in which a deputy principal was injured when he tried to stop a fight between pupils at Lihlithemba Technical School in Ndwedwe last week.
Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwana told the Daily News yesterday the department had expelled four pupils for misconduct in the past two-and-ahalf years. One was a Grade 12 pupil who was allowed to write his matric exams at another exam centre – an arrangement made, said Dlungwana, to protect his future.
However, teachers’ unions said the number was too low compared with the number of misconduct cases teachers face daily.
Nomarashiya Caluza, the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) provincial secretary, blamed the department for not making examples of the culprits behind school violence. She said the department was quick to suspend teachers, but failed to discipline pupils in a manner that sent out a strong message to other would-be perpetrators. She suggested harsher consequences for serious misconduct, such as expulsion and restriction from any school in the province.
“The inconvenience of having to relocate to another province would definitely send out a strong message to others,” said Caluza.
Scelo Isaac Bhengu, the president of the Educators Union of South Africa, said violence against teachers was an urgent issue.
“The quick actions taken against teachers accused of misconduct should also apply to pupils. We cannot continue to have teachers working in a life-threatening environment,” said Bhengu.
Dlungwana visited Lihlithemba Technical School yesterday and met members of the school governing body, who briefed him about the problem of ill-disciplined pupils.
Dlungwana hailed Bhekani Mthethwa, the deputy principal, as a hero for his bravery in trying to stop a fight.
Mthethwa, whose right arm was in bandages, said one of the boys, who had since been suspended, was a well-known trouble-maker and had a number of ill-discipline cases against him. He had already been given a final warning when the incident happened.
“I tried to intervene by standing between them. I called for them to stop, but he got aggressive. He pushed me and I fell to the ground and injured my arm,” recalled Mthethwa.
Dlungwana said: “He is a hero. He saw the children fighting and he intervened. He did not hide – instead he was caught in the fight and got injured in the line of duty.”