Online Reporter
Mkhululi Ncube, [email protected]
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has launched the “Not in My School” campaign in Bulawayo as part of efforts to curb inter-school violence, bullying and other forms of misconduct among learners.
Fighting among school learners in Bulawayo has been a cause of concern with a Form 4 pupil at Founders High School dying after he was stabbed in the neck by a Hamilton High School learner in 2023.
Last year a form four pupil at Gifford Boys High School was left nursing a broken leg and fractured ribs after he was allegedly attacked by boys from a rival school on a pavement in the city centre.
On some days the CBD becomes a fighting zone with learners from rival schools engaged in running battles.
Authorities have proposed a number of solution to eradicate the problem including phasing out same sex schools.
On Wednesday Gifford High school conducted a public march committing the school to the playing its part in eliminating the challenge.
All learners from the school and teachers participated in the Marc from the Bulawayo City hall to the school.
Gifford High School Guidance and counselling Head of Department Mrs Irene Mathe said the problem was even affected teachers who are afraid to teach violent leaners.
“Violence involving school learners has been a challenge in many schools not only in Bulawayo but other provinces. Teachers feel intimidated by their own leaners, this has also created inter schools problems. As a school we are saying zero tolerance to violence,” she said.
Mrs Mathe said violence in schools affect a good conducive learning environment.
She said all schools are involved in the campaign and said they have adopted a number of initiates to deal with the immorality.
“As a school we have adopted anti-bullying programmes and have created peace clubs, child protection committees because we do not only address violence but other social problems that they face. We want the community to adopt this as well because 90 percent of the time leaners are at home and that is where some of these ills emanate from,” said Mrs Mathe.
The school head boy Tamudaishe Luke Munamati said as leaners they are committed to eradicate the problem.
He said while the culture of violence has been prevalent in the schools for time immemorial, they are the generation to end it.
“The inter-schools violence started long and our predecessors tried to solve it and failed but we are the chosen generation to end it. We started with the Not in My District Campaign which was launched at Milton High and we are now moving with the Not in My School Campaign as a way of taking a stand on the matter,” he said.
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Bongani Moyo