adminShortly after independence, the cane remained an affectionate paraphernalia loved for inducing desired behaviour in schools. Then teachers had more authority than today. Mr Khulumani Sizo Dube (79), a former teacher who taught for over three decades before independence spoke passionately about the cane in schools.
“There is no way you can teach a black child without using a cane. A cane instilled order and discipline in schools during our days,” said Mr Dube.
Mr Dube further explained that school results were good during the cane days in schools. However, modern policy theorists and statute makers outlaw caning regarding it as harsh, adverse, a precipitation to aggression, source of destructive behaviour and increased hostility, diminished performance leading to poor results, increased rate of school drop-outs, low esteem, school phobia, depression, suicidal tendencies and nurturing a retaliatory attitude among learners.
Besides these moral, intellectual and emotional consequences of child caning put forward, it is further argued that the use of the cane is a brutal violation of the regional and international conventions on rights to which Zimbabwe is a signatory. The conventions on the rights of the child condemn the cane as a degrading instrument. A senior officer in the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “It is well known policy. No teacher may cane a child for whatever reason. There are other methods of dealing with indiscipline in schools.”
Ministry Circular Number 4 on Student Discipline dated 4 January 1997 sent to all schoolheads recognises that some offences are reprehensive and require severe action. Among the reprehensive offences are the possession of knives, extreme violence, assault of any member of staff or other pupils.
In the absence of the cane, schools are grappling with the worst reprehensive offences committed by pupils right under the nose of the teachers. Section 44 of the Education Act merely proposes a suspension of the offender. Common cases at school include fighting, bullying, gangsterism, drunkenness, strip tease by school girls, sex among boys and girls, laziness and abdication of school work.
A teacher in one of the secondary schools in Nkulumane suburb in Bulawayo who spoke on condition of anonymity said teachers would not bother about pupils’ behaviour as long as they got their monthly salaries. “Why should we bother about how pupils behave if their parents do not want us to? We shall only bother about our pay on month end.”
He also took a swipe at parents for sparing the rod and spoiling their children but later blaming teachers for their children’s misdemeanours.
Recently, in one of the startling case of juvenile delinquency reported on the front page of the Sunday News of the 6-12 November, 2011 edition entitled “Female students ‘baptise’ others with urine”, students at Eveline Girls High School reportedly tortured other students by flogging as well as forcing them to drink urine from toilets. The 15 Form Two, Three and Four students whose majority have been expelled did not only depict a bad influence to other pupils, but also brought the name of the school into disrepute.
When these school girls were executing their obnoxious activities, it is reported they operated under a gang named “NguX ongasolveki”. Some of their activities included forcefully baptising other students with urine in the toilet chambers jointly working with Milton High School boys. The girls would also ambush other students before force marching them into the secluded spots to command them into a orgy of forced sex.
Admitting the presence of “NguX Ongasolveki” group in the school, the school head Ms Moyo is quoted as saying “’there was a gang that terrorised and bullied other students at this school. It was made up of 15 Form Two pupils, one Form Three and one Form Four”.’
In its determination the school reportedly expelled these delinquent pupils. What is striking is not only the barbaric nature of their offences but also their numbers and ages. These girls are too many and too young to commit such offences at school and parents cannot afford losing money on aborted education. This is a tip of the iceberg. It is more than meet the eye.
It is clear now. Schools now have notorious girls and boys because teachers have no powers to discipline them. Teachers’ hands are tied and pupils are aware that teachers have no authority to punish them for their actions. Pupils fight while teachers watch helplessly. What kind of a nation are we building? What future leaders are we moulding? Can we circumvent the cane solely to breed such notorious gangsters in schools? What child rights are we promoting if our children abuse the same rights to corrupt and defile our schools?
My blood boils and heart sinks as a parent. One wonders what these girls would turn into when the join society where there are other hardened criminals. It is a shocking revelation. Schools are no longer churning out graduates and responsible youths that will make our country a better place to live. Inversely schools are now churning out “NguX Ongasolveki” gangsters. What shall society do to correct these little girls?
Did the school ever think about the future of these girls? Now that it has expelled the girls so what? Is it the end of the problem or the beginning? What will they turn into when they have been expelled and join society where there are more cruel vices? What will they grow into? “NguX Ongasolveki” today and tomorrow so does our society celebrate producing such uncouth youths?
The cane must come back and bring sanity in schools. Schools cannot afford serving as havens for “NguX Ongasolveki” gangsters who have the propensity to turn other pupils into broad daylight sex movies. Were the child rights promulgated to promote sex orgies in schools? Where are child rights when the same children bully or abuse other pupils? So, it is abuse when caning is administered by teachers and its celebrated when committed by notorious pupils such as “NguX Ongasolveki” gangsters.
Not very long ago, in 2010 at the memorial service of his brother Donato, His Excellency President Mugabe hailed corporal punishment in schools. Speaking to family members and friends gathered at the memorial service of his brother Donato the President said corporal punishment was in line with our culture.
President Mugabe, a father of school going age children said: “We strongly support the use of corporal punishment in disciplining errant children”, describing his late brother as strict disciplinarian.
In light of his stance on discipline, may I sincerely implore the President to evoke his Presidential powers and order the return of the cane in schools. The President and other leaders of his times are products of a cane. They did not die.
The cane refined them into disciplined and visionary leaders. Are “NguX Ongasolveki” gangsters the ideal youths envisaged by the President in his 21st Movement? Surely the President and other leaders may not wish to bequeath the legacy of their hard work, honest, loyalty and respect to youths such as “NguX Ongasolveki” gangsters.
The cane should be reintroduced in schools to deal with indiscipline because we cannot afford to have “NguX Ongasolveki” gangsters in schools.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu