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The IFP demands that the KZN MEC of Education, Kwazi Mshengu must present a detailed plan on how he intends to deal decisively with unruly learners in schools.

This comes after a teacher at a high school in Hammarsdale, just outside of Durban, has laid a charge of assault against a 20-year-old pupil after a video of the pupil attacking him with his fists on the school grounds went viral on social media.

The IFP wants the Education MEC to take action against “bullies” that are holding our schools to ransom. The MEC must make it clear that “bullies” who doesn’t care about future have no place in our schools. He must draw a line in the sand that nobody should cross that line through strict codes of conduct and disciplinary measures. Our schools have been turned into a circus by few learners who want to do as they please. Learners must know that they are at schools to learn not to disrupt learning. Unruly elements must be weeded out in our schools. Such behaviour must come to an end.

The IFP warns that indiscipline and other social ills ravaging public schools will breed a generation of irresponsible citizens if it is allowed to continue unattended. School discipline is a major concern in some KwaZulu-Natal schools. This unrest ravaging the very fabric of our educational institutions has sparked debates on the causes of the escalating rowdiness and how possible we can control it as a nation.

The IFP further calls on the parents to play their role in instilling discipline in their children. They must instil discipline, monitoring their character and school work, providing guidance and giving direction when it is required because children need order and structure in their lives.

The party urges Education Department to ensure that all schools work harder in instilling self-discipline through encouragement by giving their students a sense of purpose and clear code of conduct that will have strict guidelines as to how to conduct themselves. Schools should make use of school governing bodies whereby all stakeholders are involved in developing a Code of conduct.

Community members, parents, educators and learners should all contribute when drawing up Disciplinary Procedures and Code of Conduct of each school in this province. This will allow teacher to set limits on learners’ behaviour so that order is maintained in an effective and efficient learning environment. Code of conduct should be involving all measures such as counselling, verbal and written warnings, community service, menial tasks, constructive detention and suspension. Over and above these approaches there is dire need for training of teachers in alternative forms of discipline to ensure that they have tools for dealing with indiscipline amongst pupils and also to raise teachers’ awareness of existing education policies.

Lastly the IFP also believes that there is also need for continued sensitisation of communities on the need and the channels to report cases of violence against ill-disciplined children and adults.

Issued by IFP