Heads must roll over school fights

 SCHOOL rivalries are common throughout the world.

These extend from the sporting fields to debate halls and the classrooms or lecture theatres.

Schools rivalries are therefore part of the modern Papua New Guinea education environment.

It is violence between and within schools such as we have seen repeatedly displayed in Lae and Port Moresby that is of grave concern.

Since it assumed office, the O’Neill Government has allocated hundreds of millions of kina to education because it believes that is the foundation for the country’s future.

No parent, teacher or guardian and certainly not the government wants to see a generation of uneducated people whose only answer to any test or challenge is violence.

Education Secretary Dr Michael Tapo, when asked recently how his department was addressing the issue, had this to say: “School fights is actually not to do with the school but it’s got to do with the child or the children. Those children got their father and mother; those children live in the community, whatever community it is. 

“They bring with them that attitude problem so when they go to school they use that attitude or behaviour, they try to harass younger children or harass the children who don’t have the same view or opinion as them or they bully the people.”

Two weeks ago, a deputy principal at Bugandi Secondary School in Lae, Morobe, sustained injuries after he tried to stop a fight between students. Another fight broke out at Bugandi last Monday and the next day students clashed at Bumayong Lutheran Secondary School in Lae.

Bugandi, one of PNG’s oldest schools that has produced some of our prominent leaders like Bomyamo Sali and Utula Samana, unfortunately has become sy­nonymous with school violence and cult activities.

Tapo says all disciplinary cases should be dealt with by the school authorities and if they could not do so then they should be replaced.

“School administrations must establish a good working relationship with different authorities in the province and communities to minimise the disciplinary problems going on in schools, especially school fights.”

“Students who continue to be involved in school fights are jeopardising their future if they are expelled from their schools and parents and citizens, school authorities and school boards need to put their heads together to come up with ways to stop school fights.”

There are many causes of school violence but whatever the reasons, the actions of the students who are responsible for instigating the fights must not be ignored or condoned by the relevant authorities, including parents and guardians. 

The continued violence within and between schools clearly demonstrates that the process of addressing grievances has totally failed and that students no longer respect authority and continue to take the law into their own hands. 

There is such a thing called friendly rivalry – on the sporting field, in debating contests and in the academic arena where the schools and their students can strive to be champions. Everyone’s a winner unlike the battlefield.

Indeed, it is our society’s obligation and duty to assist in controlling violent behaviour among school children who are our future leaders. 

That duty begins at home with parents and guardians who must manage their children’s behaviour and supervise their activities.

Teachers impart knowledge and should not bear the brunt of failures by parents and guardians to instil discipline and common sense in their children.

In this day and age, most parents tend to push this responsibility to teachers and the school authorities. Many of them will always blame the schools and education authorities for their children’s moral and academic failures.

It is a competitive world out there and the children who will succeed later in life are those who pursue their goals and dreams through hard work and determination.

Many young people, by their nature, are aggressive. It falls then to their mentors – parents, guardians and teachers – to nurture and channel this aggression towards achieving positive goals.

The bottom line is that violence should not be a feature of this aggression.