Adult pupils don’t belong in our schools

“WE REITERATE that there is no place for violence and other criminal acts in schools as it poses a serious barrier to teaching and learning.”

This was KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu reacting after a 24-year-old pupil was sentenced to 17 years in jail for assaulting his teacher, dragging her out of her car and trying to run her over. The pupil was found guilty of assault with grievous bodily harm, car hijacking and attempted murder.

As much as schools are not places for violence or crime of any kind, they are also not the place for 24-year-olds, whatever the reasons for the delay in completing their schooling.

While we have every sympathy for those trying to get an education as a means of improving their circumstances, there comes a point when normal, mainstream schools cease to be the institutions to pass matric.

In matric, a 24-year-old is six to seven years older than his or her peers and could be as old as, or older than, a newly-qualified teacher. The age gap would be greater if they were in a lower grade.

A recent study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology found that older students were at an academic disadvantage in motivation, engagement and performance compared with their age-appropriate peers.

As adults, and possibly already parents, their priorities differ. As adults, they have physical, mental and emotional advantages over younger pupils, who are at risk of being bullied, or worse. As adults, they are less inclined to take instruction from, or be disciplined by, someone their age.

The Education Department has previously denied that age contributes to ill-discipline and violence at schools.

“Ill-disciplined children should be dealt with,” spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said at the time. However, the issue here is that these are not children; they are adults.

They should be diverted to Technical Vocational Education and Training colleges instead of being admitted to schools, where they become a burden on teachers and a danger to fellow pupils.

“As adults, they are less inclined to take instruction from someone their age