APPENDICES
4.2 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA
4.3.3 Disciplinary problems experienced by principals in schools
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night, at weekends and during the holidays, and their governing bodies never disclose the intruders’ names even when they know them. All participants (P1- P14) complained about poor attendance at meetings by the members, and their demand for incentives. P5 and P9 give the members of the governing body money for transport, and prepare food for them when there are meetings as a result their attendance improves.
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details. Some participants said that even those parents that are visible are afraid of their children, and they blame the schools for failing to discipline them.
According to the participants, parents expect educators to administer corporal punishment to learners. Poor attendance at parents’ meetings was another problem experienced by participants. P3 said his school has an enrolment of 1396 learners, but when they call parents’ meetings fewer than 50 parents attend. P11 has an enrolment of 1262 learners, but only about 30 parents attend meetings when invited. Participants stated that parents are not willing to cooperate with the schools.
(c) Absenteeism
Absenteeism is another problem encountered by principals which affects school discipline. The study revealed that the lack of parental guidance is the cause of absenteeism. The percentage of learners that are not staying with their parents is high in rural secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal. The participants pointed out that there are learners who live with their grandmothers, or come from child- headed families, or stay in rented places. P6 mentioned that after weekends and holidays absenteeism is high because some learners commit crime and are taken to jail, others are hospitalized, and there are many other problems. P6 also mentioned that absent learners disturb school by bringing liquor and drugs to their friends through the fence.
(d) Lack of commitment to school work
Participants said that they are faced with learners who are not willing to do their work. There are learners who fail to do their homework, do not submit it on the due date, or copy it from others in the morning. Participants revealed that the contributing factor is that parents do not support their children because some are illiterate, others do not have time for their children, and some children are without
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parents. Most of the participants referred to television and cellphones as time- wasters. Participants said that learners are not allowed to use cellphones during school, but they do. When the school confiscates a cellphone parents come and plead that the child be given it back. Participants said that there is so much that distracts learners from their schoolwork.
(e) High pregnancy rate
P1 to P14 complained about the high rate of pregnancy. P8 revealed that in his school, before June, there were 17 learners pregnant just in grade 12. P9 stated that in his school 24 learners were pregnant in grade 12 before June. According to the participants, it is very difficult to deal with learners who are expected to parent their children at home. Instead of studying they attend to their children because they are playing the roles of being both learners and parents. Learners have love affairs (P1), and some of them stay with their boyfriends (P6). P6 said that pregnancy has become the norm, and is very problematic because it affects the learner’s performance, and increases absenteeism.
(f) Child-headed families
Participants revealed that they have the problems of learners who are failing to cope because of circumstances back home. There are learners who have lost their parents to HIV/ AIDS and live alone. Some learners are themselves infected with HIV /AIDS. This situation affects the schools because they have to deal with learners who have social problems, who are absent from school for lengthy periods of time, or who come to school having not eaten anything. P7 stated that in his school one of these children committed suicide, an unfortunate situation caused by failure to talk to the class teacher or anyone who could be of help.
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(g) Substance abuse and carrying of dangerous weapons
According to participants, drugs and the carrying of dangerous weapons are problematic in schools. Learners take drugs at school. P1 showed the researcher dagga and dangerous weapons that had been confiscated from learners. Most of the participants complained about learners who bring alcohol to school, and as a result become rude and violent and a threat to other learners. P7 complained about taverns that are close to the school, and sell liquor to learners. These learners disrupt classes, and participants have to deal with educators who are scared of the learners, and cannot enforce discipline. P6 reported on the matter of bullying. In his school a boy wanted to stab a girl because she did not want to fall in love with him. He said that there are so many learners who are bullied, but do not report the bullies. Both learners and educators are exposed to danger.
(h) Lack of safety and security
Participants stated that their lives are in danger because there is no safety and security in schools these days. According to participants, effective teaching and learning cannot happen in an unsafe place. Educators fear for their lives, and fail to deal with rude and disruptive learners who carry dangerous weapons.P8,P11 and P13 said that young educators experience discipline problems in class. P4 pointed out that some learners threaten educators, and tell them not to leave the school premises because they will get them outside.