When teachers are pushed to the point where they feel the only way to drive home what they face daily is to protest, we should all be worried.
This happened at a school in the gang-ridden, violence-plagued northern areas where intimidatory gangster-type behaviour appears to have taken root.
The teachers, buckling under the strain of constant threats and violence by pupils, staged a sit-in in the quad during assembly last week to highlight their plight.
They claim they are being verbally and, at times, physically abused by pupils who have absolutely no respect for, especially, the younger teachers and teacher assistants.
“There is no fear in these kids. The threats are frightening. One rather walks away because you have to think of your safety and not take these as idle threats,” one teacher said.
“Because of their ill-discipline, it is close to impossible to complete a lesson without constant disruptions.”
This, of course, affects the children who want to learn and do well at school.
Some parents are considering transferring their children to other schools.
One parent said it was an unhealthy situation, with pupils complaining of favouritism by the teachers and the teachers, in turn, saying the pupils were rude and disrespectful.
She said teachers also alleged that the pupils threatened to damage their cars and send family members to shoot them if they were scolded.
This is a shocking state of affairs and is destroying the morale of the teachers.
A teachers’ union official said: “[Our member teachers at the school] have reported intimidation, threats of violence and damage to property when disciplining pupils.
“We recognise that [the school] is situated in a community deeply affected by gang-related violence, which inevitably spills over into the school environment.
“[Teachers], who are duty-bound to provide quality education, however, cannot do so effectively under threats of violence.”
It is crucial that parents do their part in tackling this growing culture of threats and violence at schools. We cannot afford to have teachers driven out of the profession by fear.
The building blocks of respect should start at home.
What we teach our children and how we, as parents, treat others are crucial factors in shaping their characters.
As the union official said, schools cannot succeed in isolation — parents and communities must stand with the teachers in building a culture of respect and accountability.
The price we will pay for failing to do so is incalculable.
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.