READER LETTER | How do we curb the rot at schools?

A pupil allegedly shot a principal at a school in Germiston on Friday. Apparently, the child used a gun that belonged to one of his parents. So he had stolen it.

Fortunately, the principal is recovering from his injury in hospital. It is alleged that his attacker thought he had to pay for having scolded him and a group of children for loitering around, instead of studying; the child is only 13 years old. He was arrested.

Ever since corporal punishment was abolished at schools, the tables have turned with the teachers being at the receiving end of punishment from pupils. The situation has been made worse by parents who seem to condone the hostility of pupils towards their teachers. Children are impressionable, if they hear adults speaking approvingly of pupils who have no regard for their teachers and show disrespect for them, they think it is a good thing, it is the way it should be.

So, it is not surprising that a child as young as this one, would want to do something heroic by shooting the unsuspecting principal, some David and Goliath situation. One looks back with nostalgia when going down the memory lane, when there was discipline at schools, and we saw nothing wrong with the disciplinary actions that we received if we failed to do our schoolwork. Today, some teachers have died at the hands of pupils. Freedom is good when practised with no malice. But ours has brought too many unacceptable consequences. How do we curb the rot at schools? It is out of control, so tragic.

Cometh Dube-Makholwa, Midrand