adminHIGH school moments are priceless and unforgettable.
Little heroes and heroines are created during the course of learning.
The academically-gifted are always remembered for their prowess. Hotheads also find a way to make some lasting impressions.
And, in most cases, these hotheads remain unrepentant even after school. Friends and foes are also made during high school days.
Top athletes are hard to forget.
At boarding schools, in particular, maturity and responsibility are taught once you set your foot at the learning institution. Punctuality, time keeping and cleanliness are also taught at boarding schools.
However, bullying has made life miserable at some boarding schools.
Some of the bullies are either senior students or teachers preying on innocent learners. This has made life unbearable for many at most schools.
Some of the learners have either quit or committed suicide, as a result of the trauma, associated with bullying.
A spine-chilling case, involving bullying, has made headlines after human remains, which a family believe are those of a St Mathias Tsonzo High School student, were found along the riverbed.
The young boy was last seen in December last year.
His whereabouts had been a subject of controversy for some months now.
He had been punished for breaking into the school tuck shop where he is believed to have stolen some snacks.
We all are waiting for the DNA tests which will tell us more about the human remains which were found last week.
His family claim the remains are those of Livingstone Sunhwa, the schoolboy who has been missing for the last few months.
If that is the case, then it’s the worst case scenario for all us who were praying for a better ending.
The whole case has sent shock waves at the school with a number of parents threatening to withdraw their students.
Some parents and learners suspect foul play. Others suspect it might be a case of suicide prompted by bullying, desperation or the pain which was inflicted on him in one way or another.
The police have since intensified investigations in this matter.
This case has left many with more questions than answers regarding the safety of our kids under the guardianship of school authorities.
Learning institutions should never be death traps.
Rather school authorities should protect our children.
In cases where some students misbehave, parents/guardians should always be consulted.
School authorities should also be firm and resolute when it comes to the welfare of our kids.
It’s sad that some of the school authorities have turned themselves into monsters and made life, at learning institutions, a living hell.
In this era where corporal punishment has been abolished, school authorities need to engage parents once the kids misbehave.
In this case, this boy needed to be protected and taught the values of having the right manners.
To the young learners out there, it is important for them to know they also need to have the right manners and behave accordingly.
Schools should be about nurturing the students, for the beginning, and not the end, of their lives.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter