Research Findings and Discussion
4.2. Themes that emerged from data
4.2.5. Vandalism
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she had to double up the portfolios due to a few resignations not being filled.
She made her comments with confidence and authority and was truthful to present facts of how serious the violence was which the educators were hesitant to disclose. She sounded very frustrated that violence is escalating at the school and she wanted more support from those at school and the parents from the outside to stem the tide.
The SGB Chairman of Alpha Primary said:
Learners try to break rules but a strict code of discipline would help to curb violence. We parents work and expect the school to discipline our children.
We blame the school environment because our kids are fine at home and it is the influences at school that make our children break rules.
There is much finger-pointing between stakeholders and very few collective solutions. Parents expect the school to tame violent children. It is considered to be their job for which they get paid. Educators blame the parents for ill- disciplined learners and explain it as bad parenting. School violence solutions require a partnership of both these stakeholders as joint forces taking on the culprits. SGB stakeholders can assist the schools to reduce violence by calling for parent meetings and engaging the communities in cleaning up the vices.
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security guard, no broken window panes and locked rooms after school hours.
It is imperative for a school to start with a good wall or fence before efforts can be made to curb violence. The school with the holes in the fence that allowed for a thoroughfare during and after school hours was most vandalized. It was stated by the principal of Omega Primary that the culprits are not just adults from the community but the learners from that school who come back late in the evening to destroy the buildings. A reported case showed that a learner who was reprimanded for his bad behavior during the day said “I will show that teacher who I am” came back after school hours and stoned the classroom windows. The educator said that what he heard was not substantial evidence to implicate that child. There were no witnesses.
A grade 7 perpetrator in Alpha Primary who wrote graffiti over his desk in tippex and colored ink pens said:
I was bored in class. Everyone does it but I just got caught because I wrote out my name. The punishment is not much. I have to clean the desk out with some remover. At least we get to leave our mark in this school when we go to high school next year. Also I finished using this desk so I am not interested in the new kids in this class next year.
4.2.5.2. How does vandalism affect the non-educators/ support staff?
In both schools the administrative clerks, the security guards and cleaners were more familiar with the episodes of vandalism than the educators. Their extensive knowledge came from the localities of their work stations for example at the front gate, in the front office, in the staffroom as a cleaner. Their places of work gave them accessibility to information first hand. Unlike the educators who were not always honest about the violent episodes because it could have reflected on their own control and discipline, the non-educators were frustrated, angry and ready to clean out the perpetrators. They stated that violent perpetrators impact directly on their jobs. There is more to guard, more to clean and more parents to phone and report when learners vandalize school
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property. They also see the incidents first hand as the guard at Alpha Primary reported that control at the dismissal gate is impossible because learners do not listen to him but shove and push each other. As the learners leave school they start kicking and punching each other. They also vandalize school property like writing on the school walls. Sometimes he leaves the gate post and run after the gangs to separate them. Then the others start spraying the walls with canned paint. The non-educators get no respect from the learners.
The perpetrators treat educators very rudely. They do not respect their parents or any adult, so without hesitation they use vulgarity on the non-educators too.
The cleaner (non educator) in Omega Primary said:
Fighting and stealing are everyday things. Nothing is done to latecomers.
Children are not afraid of teachers. They run out of the class, around the blocks, we find them playing in the toilets and wring on the walls.
The cleaners and guards said that their work was made more difficult because they double or treble their positions. The cleaner does security checks in the toilets and she also helps educators on errands including running out worksheets. The non-educators are generally fed up with violence and wish the children would come to school to learn. When asked who they blame for the violence they appeared reserved and fearful of the school authority but suggested that stricter educators will help with the crises their schools are facing (support staff at Omega Primary).
The guard (non educator) at Alpha Primary spoke of his stressful day:
I cross learners on the busy main road so I work first as a scholar patrol.
Here the learners cross at their own spots and make me chase after them.
The children are very rude. Some even swear me. When school starts I lock all gates and do security checks. By 9h00 I start duplicating worksheets for the teachers and I run around on school errands. I clean out the gardens and supervise the cleaners. At 12h30 to 14h30 I am back on the
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road crossing the learners at three dismissal times. At 14h30 I come back into school and start fixing things the learners broke. I even repair the lights and plumbing and I paint. Most of my time is spent fixing broken window panes, door latches and taps in the toilets. I finish at 18h00. I work a full 12 hour shift because the school really needs my help.
4.2.5.3. Who pays for the damages?
An educator from Alpha Primary stated:
Violent learners are generally very poor to pay for damages. Cellular phones are broken, school windows are broken during scuffles and uniforms are torn, including name-brand shoes that are stolen. Even if there is proof that the perpetrator was responsible for damages nothing can be done because most often the parents are unemployed. In the incident where a grade 3, learner had his ear-drum lacerated due to a hard clout by another 8 year old boy, the hospital bills for the operation were produced by the victim’s parents. The other parents were called in but failed to help in any way because they are very poor and living off charity. The biggest problem is the vandalism to the toilets. The graffiti, the wrenched taps and broken seats are costly but the culprits cannot be identified because they visit the toilets during lesson time. It is against the constitutional right of the child not to be allowed to attend to the call of nature during lessons. The school never wins against these vandals.
From the interviews and entries in the observation schedules on days of visits it was apparent that both the non-educators or support staff and educators are also taking the brunt of violent learners who vandalize school property, who treat them badly and who come to school seeking trouble. Their daily tasks would be fewer if they did not have to cope with violent learners.
The support staff that was interviewed at Alpha Primary was the secretary who doubles as DSSC chairman because he serves on the SGB and the parents
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have appointed him to hold that position because none of them had time to and the scholar patrol guard who also serves as gardener, security guard, general assistant etc. The support staff that was interviewed at Omega Primary was the cleaner and the security guard. While these personnel were angry as they spoke they were generally not very articulate. Some of their answers were one word responses and they could not describe the episodes in detail. The response to “Who should stop this violence?” was “Principal”.
4.2.5.4. What can SGB parents do to cope with vandalism?
The comments from governing body chairpersons were:
The relationship between all parents and the teachers has to be united and strong to solve the violence in the schools. Some parents are apathetic.
They do not attend school meetings or do not respond to notices to call at school.(Omega Primary)
The DSSC chairman should not be a parent according to the department of Education’s requirement. It should be a staff member on the premises. The parent who works and attends meetings 4 times a year (once a quarter as the legislation requires) is clueless about the security issues at school daily. (Alpha Primary)
The school must provide counseling during the LO lessons to those who break the rules. Learners come from troubled homes and need the love and support from the educators. All parents felt that the policy of locking out latecomers was unacceptable and no matter what the offence a child must never be sent home and deprived of learning.(Alpha Primary)