The culture of violence in schools is rapidly becoming one of the most disruptive forces in modern day Zimbabwe. (Pictured: How has violence educated our young people?)
This epidemic respects no socio-economic and political boundaries. It is pervasive in high density suburbs and rural areas, with a few cases in former group A schools. There seems to be no policy in the ministry of education that protects the students from corporal punishment administered irrespective of guidelines. The teacher-induced violence that appears to be the notch for tidying students behaviour in our schools back pedals the path of retaining the formerly highly respected education standards in the country.
These revelations came to light when participants from over 15 African countries gathered for an international conference on education in Nairobi in early September. One participant shared what he experienced in Zimbabwe at St. Peters School in Mbare. According to the participant, teachers have turned themselves into monsters, leaving students grossly abused. She gave the example of rampant caning which is administered by any teacher using a piece of rubber from a car tire. The rubber piece is named Mr. Black.
Bearing in mind that we have two institutions loafing at their duties, I shudder to think that this scandal should go unchecked. The school as an institution falls under the Ministry of Education, with guidelines and principles. The teachers must therefore abide by the guidelines against corporal punishment, unless administered by the head of the school or any teacher delegated to do so by the head. Any such action should be recorded, noting the offence, the culprits name, the date/day, officer administering the punishment and the nature of the punishment. Having such a record is good, but what service does it render?
The second institution is the Catholic Church running the school. As the responsible authority, the church ought to know how discipline is maintained in the school and it is my humble opinion that the church should not condone this atrocious behaviour by teachers.
The report from the participant is not only shocking, but gives answers to the question of the violence witnessed in Zimbabwe in the past few elections. This atmosphere of violence that children are becoming accustomed to, has the potential to breed violent behaviour later in life.
The political system has made use of this maladroit behaviour amongst the youth and has trained them in the so-called National Youth Service, turning them into Green Bombers.
We are training murderers in our schools and they are being trained by a violent species of teachers, and even by some violent parents at home. What else is there to expect of such growing adults when they are idle and are offered a few goodies to go maim, rape, or kill?
Have our teachers forgotten the principles of classroom management learnt in college? How to manage inappropriate behaviour among learners, behaviourally oriented classroom management strategies, counselling and performance centred approaches to teaching? Teachers are role models to the students and should retain the teaching profession to the noble profession that it has been and should be.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights charter states that: Every individual shall have the right to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being and to the recognition of his legal status. All forms of exploitation and degradation of man particularly slavery, slave trade, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment shall be prohibited.
It would be counted folly to make any reference to this charter in Zimbabwe, considering that the government is a major culprit in so many cases of gross human abuses.
Finally, education is and must be done in an environment conducive to learning and teaching; violence has to be stamped out. The Ministry of Education needs to re-enforce the guidelines against corporal punishment.
Post published in: Opinions