DR SHEETAL BHOOLA
Recent media reports have once again reminded us that South Africa could be labelled and stereotyped as a violent society.
Violent and criminal behaviour within the country’s public schools continue to prevail despite school principals and management’s attempts to curb and eliminate it.
Many children have experienced bullying, physical abuse, verbal abuse and alienation at school.
In Soweto, a pupil was murdered at a park in February this year. It was reported that three boys stabbed him to death. Eleven years ago, it was reported that the Western Cape had the highest number of schools violence in South Africa, followed by Limpopo.
In 2019, it was reported that schools in Gauteng had experienced increasing levels of school violence. Research and relevant data shows the challenge remains prevalent and continuous and could easily result in the development and growth of a violent society.
As citizens, we have to become wary of behaviours that become prevalent and easily condoned in our society. The acceptance of delinquent and criminal behaviour could become the norm in our communities and schools.
The impact of this is detrimental to the physical, psychological and social well-being of a child. The academic capacity of the child diminishes if they are victimised. Often, children who bear witness to at least one violent scenario at schools develop a fear of attending school. They instinctively feel unsafe and unprotected.
Schools and places of learning and development should be havens for our children, but if our homes have adopted violent approaches to communication and managing emotions, the habits and way of life are brought into the classroom. Children might not feel safe within either their homes or their schools.
The National Development Plan of 2030 guides and directs the appropriate safety measures that should be implemented in schools. The policies and frameworks are effective when supporting measures and preventative programmes are put in place.
Often the responsibility lies with the principal and teaching staff at a school but many teachers fear reprimanding unruly children and addressing delinquent behaviour. Eraslan-Capan (2014) said teachers were often victimised by aggressive behaviour, bullying and theft and intent of physical harm.
There were cases of school violence against teachers reported in 2018 and 2019, yet there has been minimal attempt to address the growing concern of learner-teacher violence.
Teachers are expected to independently manage themselves and the classrooms despite the devious and violent behaviour learners direct towards them.
Learners opt to react with passive-aggressive forms of communication, humiliation and intimidation towards the teachers if grievances are left unresolved. Teachers are often stressed throughout the school day. A stressful environment negatively impacts the effectiveness of teaching, teachers’ concentration and their capacity to be nurturing, patient and good listeners.
Santos and Tin (2018) said that if schools did not put strict remedial measures in place against verbal abuse and the use of inappropriate language when addressing teachers, the intimidation and variations of passive aggression would persist in the classroom.
Learners also learn from one another and if the behaviour was ignored or not appropriately remedied with repercussions, then it cold become the norm among peers in the classroom.
Teachers too need appropriate skills to curb and manage the behavioural challenges that have become prevalent. Many teachers do not have the appropriate skills to manage and resolve conflict. Some individuals opt to avoid conflict at all costs because they do not have the correct tools and knowledge to manage unhealthy social relationships.
The Department of Education should be collaborating with school management, bodies, principals and educators to collectively determine an effective measure. Teachers should have a support structure and be appropriately trained to resolve conflict and eliminate inappropriate language, violence and deviancy in the classroom.
The Government Notice 22754 (No. 1040), endorsed by the Department of Education, stipulates that there should be a safety officer present at every public school. However, many schools do have safety personnel employed on the premises. Many of the teachers manage access to the school premises and have to be vigilant in the case of strangers and persons of potential threat.
Teachers are often alone in the classroom and could easily be verbally abused, disrespected and threatened. The ratio of one teacher to approximately 40 children might not be the most effective regulation for some schools. Schools that have been earmarked to be far more potentially violent than others should be more vigilant about supporting their teachers appropriately.
Each school community is unique and should be developing a measure to curb deviancy, verbal abuse and violence in their school. Learners should be appropriately informed about the adverse impacts of this type of behaviour and that it could be detrimental lifelong for the perpetrator.
The repercussions, remedial measures and punishment have to be reinforced in each school but, ideally, it should not be the responsibility of the teacher.
Perhaps schools need to look at an external body of governance and regulation to deal with verbal abuse and violence in schools.
The initiative has to be supported by The Department of Education and relevant stakeholders.
Dr Sheetal Bhoola is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Zululand and the director at StellarMaths (Phoenix & Sunningdale).
Daily News