Mvuyo Mati

Mvuyo Mati

The teachers' union, Sadtu, yesterday called for a meeting of people involved in education to discuss the wave of crime and breakdown of discipline in schools.

Eastern Cape Sadtu secretary, Mxolisi Dimaza, has appealed for help in bring order to schools where there has been a breakdown in discipline and where pupils are known to be engaged in criminal activities.

Dimaza was referring to the arrest of nine girls at Unathi High School, and four boys at Nkangeleko Intermediate School in East London on Friday. There were other incidents of lawlessness involving pupils in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

At some of the schools pupils either attacked teachers, brought dagga to school and even had sex romps on the school premises.

The girls at Unathi were allegedly caught with dagga-laced muffins and a bottle of brandy, and the boys were found in possession of dagga reefers inside their classrooms.

The principals of the schools have since expelled the pupils. Dimaza said the issue of substance abuse and alcohol on school premises was a "drop in the ocean" compared with other problems affecting schools.

"We think the education authorities should organise an education summit to discuss how these problems can be dealt with," he said.