Dispatch in Dialogue Dealing with beasts, bullies in schools
The death of 15-year-old Lufuno Mavhunga — who died from an overdose after being bullied at school — is a fresh reminder of the unresolved social crisis within the corridors of schools.
While death is part of the human journey and is a reminder that humans are mortal, it is unfortunate that schools are becoming shrines of terror and social disintegration.
Every day, South African society is confronted by various abuses in schools which mirror society at large.
Sociologist Émile Durkheim’s observation is that schools are a miniature of society.
Parents and educational stakeholders become unsure if their children will make it home as they are continually confronted by terrors such as bullying, body shaming, xenophobic attacks and rape.
Lufuno is one of the many pupils in SA who succumbed to school violence inside and outside the classroom.
School violence, which has not only affected pupils but teachers too, is unfortunately perpetrated by pupils’ peers, who in normal circumstances should learn, live, and address social problems together.
Continued school violence is contrary to the functionalist view that schooling creates homogeneity and social cohesion.
Lufuno’s death shows the failure of the curriculum’s ability to reinvent a society that believes in non-violent means of resolving conflict.
Before examining the curriculum, let me remind readers of the magnitude of the problem at hand in relation to school violence manifested through bullying, body shaming and in some cases, killings.
Lufuno follows other victims of school violence. For example, Tshepo Mphehlo, 14, was stabbed to death at Sebokeng High School.
Another pupil was stabbed to death at Eersterivier School in the Western Cape in 2020.
Similarly, another pupil was stabbed to death by a classmate at Eastwood Secondary School in Pietermatrizburg in 2019, and let’s not forget a pupil who was stabbed to death at Reunion Secondary School in Isipingo in 2019.
The victims are multiple and this tragedy should be a concern to all peace-loving citizens.
Looking at school violence, I will focus on the limitations of the school curriculum in SA.
The curriculum should be evaluated in terms of its ability to produce an educated people with the ability to engage in peaceful and non-threatening strategies for conflict resolution.
The peace and stability of any successful nation is anchored in the strong foundation of citizenship education.
With reference to SA, the introduction of Life Orientation as a subject was seen as a brilliant means to instil good citizenship among pupils.
However, while the intentions of introducing the subject were good, the implementation has proven unsuccessful in teaching humanity to pupils.
In some cases, the subject is taught by teachers not trained to teach it.
Should citizenship through education be taken seriously, I am sure the subject would contribute to a tolerant society, committed to embracing human dignity despite colour, race and other social variables.
Lufuno and the accused had a conflict, which is part of human nature; however, the Life Orientation curriculum should have been a source for bringing about a peaceful resolution to their differences.
However, since the subject is not taken seriously at schools, I am sure they saw no reason to apply Life Orientation principles to the conflict.
The curriculum in SA is preoccupied with the need to produce pupils who will fill skills shortages.
As such, there is an emphasis on skills development, with much of the curriculum’s energy used to produce competent pupils, which in turn creates job security which is ideal for the expectations of parents and the corporate world.
But it has come at a cost, especially because less emphasis is placed on the human sciences as an integral part of a successful nation.
It is critical that the school curriculum produces balanced pupils who have the ability to perform well in subjects that gear them for jobs, but also places value on the human sciences that cement good citizenship.
Lufuno’s death is a reminder that a school curriculum that does not balance education which offers job security and inculcates humanness, results in social trajectories such as school violence.
The year 2008 saw the demise of religious education at most South African public schools.
Very few schools still offer the subject. It was seen as useless, and debates arose in terms of which religion should be in the curriculum.
While religious education had its problems like any other subject, no-one can doubt its ability to teach morality, an integral part of humanity lacking in many ways at South African schools.
Religion and its teaching reminds people of the relationship they have with a divine being, while calling for accountability in the treatment of fellow citizens.
Now that the subject is not taught at school, pupils are deprived of learning about social responsibility and being accountable to God for their actions.
Morality, characterised by tolerance and peace, is lacking among many pupils, hence the never ending school violence.
The curriculum is limited by over emphasising natural sciences at the expense of subjects that belong to the human sciences, such as religion.
Lufuno’s death is a reminder that morality in a curriculum is indispensable in reinventing education that benefits pupils.
How far can teachers engage in the loco-parenting role? Seemingly, whenever teachers are confronted by the need to implement a loco-parenting role, this is met with resistance, anger, and ridicule.
I remember a teacher who was condemned for combing pupils’ hair at school.
To me, the teacher was exercising her loco-parenting to make pupils more presentable.
However, some social media users saw her as an uncivilised teacher and unworthy of being in the schooling system.
It is because of this that teachers fold their arms and neglect the care role of a teacher.
With reference to Lufuno, if teachers were allowed to exercise their loco-parenting role, I am sure they could have intervened in the conflict, as parents, and resolved the issue.
Society should allow teachers to exercise a loco-parenting role within the confines of social justice and care, without the use of corporal punishment.
Lufuno’s story is disheartening, and unfortunately there is nothing we can do to bring her precious soul back.
The moment we teach pupils that violence is normal, we pass on the mentality to the younger generation and each day we will continue to bury victims of school violence.
Yes, today it’s Lufuno. Tomorrow it will be me or you. Thus the school should be part and parcel of reinventing a society that values non-violent means to resolve conflict.
Dr Bekithemba Dube is a senior lecturer at the University of the Free State’s Qwaqwa Campus.
The moment we teach pupils that violence is normal, we pass on the mentality to the younger generation and each day we will continue to bury victims of school violence