School violence must stop

VIOLENCE amongst school students appear to be on the rise in Papua New Guinea in the past month.
The current rampage in Mt Hagen between schoolboys from Mt Hagen Park and Mt Hagen Secondary schoolboys is the third outbreak of violence.

• ON March 2, there was a fight between students from Tokarara and Gerehu Secondary Schools in Port Moresby; and,
• ON March 17, a 13-year old school boy was killed during a fight between students from Karlese Primary School and Ruango Primary School in West New Britain, Kimbe.
  While police are still investigating the cause of the problem in Mt Hagen, all Education Minister Jimmy Uguro could say in response to the March 17 incident was that the police must investigate and bring to book those responsible for the killing of a 13-year-old primary school boy in Kimbe.
  “Parents must also guide their children to behave and condemn violence.
  “Use the free education as an opportunity to progress in life meaningfully.
  “Any such violence in school premises must be attended to immediately to avoid major and further damage or deterioration in discipline,” he added.
  The boy, from Ruango, was killed in a fight between Karlese and Ruango primary school students.
  The boy, believed to be from Bali in Vitu, was rushed to Kimbe General Hospital but died on arrival.
  According to police, the reason for the fight was still unknown and investigations continue.
  However, the boy’s parents were upset and police were trying their best to identify the suspects responsible for the murder.
  Police are keeping close eyes on the roads leading to the two schools to ensure no more school fights and the students are free to go to school without fear of being attacked.
  School fights seem to be happening everywhere with no effort made by those in authority, the Education Department and respective schools, to put an end or stop to it.
  This forthcoming fate may become a norm if there is no proper enforcement of behaviour policy in schools.
  We have countless written editorials on school fights over the years and will keep stressing that if those tasked with enforcing penalties students involved were on top of their responsibility, students will fear retribution, that maybe tragic or costly.
  Rather than just waiting for the penalty from schools, it is time for students involved school fights to be arrested and hauled to court just like any other law-breaker.
  They have to be treated now like adults because they choose to behave like adults, rogue and law-breaking adults.
  They have chosen to ignore lawful instructions and advice and must be prepared to face the consequences.
  Existing laws need to be re-visited.
  All disciplinary cases should be dealt with by the school governing bodies and if the school governing bodies cannot handle the issue then they should be replaced.
  And the Education Department must see to that. Good-natured and long term preventive measures are needed to fully eliminate the on-going battles between schools or within schools.
  Tougher penalties should be applied to schools and this falls back to the Education Department.
  The Education Department says all schools in the country must have the revised copy of the Behaviour Management Policy for the National Education System.
  All good.
  The question now is how much effort has the Education Department put into checking and ensuring that all schools have that policy and actually have incorporated it into their respective disciplinary policies.
  Enough of condemnation every time there is a school fight.
  Let’s nip this now and it starts with the principals and headmasters.