Natalie Nyathi,
In October last year Zim GBC News carried a story on the ongoing and escalating City Center feuds amongst High School boys in Bulawayo.
This is after a Gifford High School pupil had been mercilessly beaten and left unconscious at the Large City Hall by a mob of Milton High School students.
The publication then sought a comment from the responsible authorities on what action had been taken to stop such feuds as lives of the affected students were in serious danger since dangerous weapons such as small boulders, broken bottles and knuckle dusters were used in such fights.
The Gifford High School Headmaster, could not give a full comment as he told this reporter that he was not permitted to speak to the media, however he acknowledged the fighting amongst school boys and as Gifford High school, they has done all they could but were unable to control the students once they are outside school premises.
Mr. Nzima, thus refereed this publication to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
A few days after the student from Gifford High School was for dead, ironically, on the sidelines of Bulawayo City Council’s Asitshoveni Smart Mobility Initiative campaign, Zim GBC News met up with the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Hon. Dr Evelyn Ndlovu and sought her intervention over the feuds.
Hon. Minister Ndlovu that refused audience with this publication, she did not entertain nor did she want the information had for her so as to try and investigate the feuds.
Since Zim GBC News broke the story, there has been nothing forthcoming from the Minister.
At the time, it would have been prudent for the Minister, as a mother and responsible authority for Primary and Secondary schools, to get first hand information from this publication, but she preferred not to.
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As a former teacher, Zim GBC News wanted assurance from her, as the responsible head in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to at least assure parents that something was being done to curb the situation, but Hon. Minister Ndlovu chose to be aloof.
She only had to say.
“I will investigate.”
Meanwhile, these school boys continued to chase after one another with the intention of inflicting grievous bodily harm on each other.
Only on Tuesday, a form four student from Founders High School was stabbed to death by a group of Hamilton High School boys.
Had the Minister listened and heeded our concerns and taken suggestions from this publication and other concerned citizens, maybe the young boy from Gifford High School would not have lost his. life.
Serious interventions by several stakeholders such as the teachers, the headmasters, the Police, the SDCs (School Development Committees), parents and residents at large is needed urgently to curb these brainless fights.
The Minister failed to realize this.
Some few years back, Zimbabwe’s High Court banned corporal punishment at schools and home. The ruling came after a handful disgruntled parents complained to the courts that corporal punishment inflected at schools was inhumane, degrading and against basic human rights.
Teachers were clipped of their wings and thus became powerless to tame school children. As such indiscipline has been the order of the day in many schools that has untold bullying and fighting that has led to the loss of a young promising life.
A video of two school boys from Harare being bullied is circulating on social media. In the boys are tied to each other using school ties and are ordered to slap each other.
In the previous years such behavior would have the perpetrator being ejected from schools albeit after receiving beating from the school.
All this has disappeared from most government schools.
Zim GBC News sought comments from parents over the escalating and continued feuds and student (mis)behaviors outside school premises leading to loss of lives, and they had this to say,
“Ayibiselwe icorporal punishment, angithi bathembe wona marights lawo, yikho besenzenje, nawe ungamshaya uyezwa ethi ngiyakubophisa.Thina kudala ubungeke nje ungene eskolo ugqoke njengepantsula, ubutshaywa kumbe ubiselwe endlini“, said a parent identified as MaTshuma.
the government has to return corporal punishment in schools. Now our children threaten to have a parent arrested if beaten at home. This is the reason why their behavior is like this. During our school days no kid would attend school dressed in the manner they do. You would either be corporal punished or sent back home.
Sihle Mpofu told Zim GBC News that :
“Mina (me) I’m a stronger believer of corporal punishment twana. Thina sakhula sitshaywa and in a way kwasisiza, kudala ezikolo kwakune discipline. Bewusesaba ukumosha coz bewusaz ukuthi uzotshaywa.
We grew up being beaten at our schools and this straightened us unto the right track as we feared being beaten. I blame the Government what’s happening in schools, too much power has been given to the kids.
“Ukuthi kulunge both at home and schools… parents, teachers should be given back the powers to discipline the kids, (or)else the country at large is doomed coz the kids are the future leaders”, she said.
One mother told this reporter that the government should return corporal punishment as children nowadays take advantage of their rights.
The Queen said,
“Abatshaywe labo doti mina ngaya eskolo and told uprincipal ukuthi owami kaphanishwe accordingly angilankinga”
Let the rascals be beaten, l went to school and gave the principal permission to punish my child as per school rules
Miss K told Zim GBC News that students should be punished, rights or no rights as they spend almost three quarters of their time at school and should be disciplined for a better and brighter future.