The virtual collapse of discipline in our schools is cause for concern. When the generation of 1976 took to the streets to demand a better education, a pyrrhic victory was attained as a culture of rebellion against any form of authority entrenched itself in the minds of African children.

Apartheid education was abominable and the heroic efforts of the 1976 generation became a milestone in the transformation of the education system. The aftermath of the June 1976 student uprisings unleashed a completely altered education landscape with pupils emboldened by a realisation of their “power” to influence change. As a result, some basics for an effective education system were jettisoned...