When Thembisile Williams went to work on Monday morning, little did she know that just hours later, she would pray out in desperation watching a teenage boy die in her arms.
In today’s paper Williams, a patroller at Pholosho Junior Secondary School in Alexandra, tells of the last moments of Qayiye Mgaye’s life, a 15-year-old boy who was stabbed by a fellow pupil during a fight on the school grounds.
The incident has again thrust into the spotlight the crisis of violence in schools.
This paper has published numerous stories over the years of pupils beaten or killed in schools.
It is a phenomenon that must be understood in the context of our violent society and how schools simply mirror our tragic realities.
Two years ago basic education minister Angie Motshekga warned of the far-reaching impact of violence on the schooling system.
"We must be mindful [that] any violent conduct within our schooling environment has dire consequences for the system as a whole.
"It may lead to fewer learners enrolling for teaching qualifications, mass resignation of existing teachers, and low morale amongst teachers, increased learner drop-out, and low levels of academic performance,” she said.
Still, while violence is a broader problem, its manifestation in schools demands targeted intervention in the education system, and more urgently, in schools identified as particularly problematic.
The reasons for the fight between the group of boys at Pholosho are obscure and will never justify its tragic end.
But they are a symptom of a deeply troubled school where gangs and disorder is rife.
This is why it is deeply concerning that education MEC Panyaza Lesufi suggested upon visiting the school yesterday that its management had not been transparent about the incident as well as the history of violence at the institution.
Asked if the accused had been involved in fights before, as claimed by other pupils, Lesufi said the school had been “economic with the truth” and this prompted him to ask district officials to conduct thorough investigations.
There can be no meaningful intervention made in a school where its management has closed ranks.
The department must probe every allegation made with regards to the troubles of this school.
Relevant support must be given to pupils and staff who need it.
Equally, consequence management must be implemented where necessary to reverse what appears to be a culture of anarchy.
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