Swazi Observer

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‘POSITIVE DISCIPLINE TO BLAME FOR RIOTS’

By Kwanele Sibiya | 2021-12-06

Manzini- St John Bosco Primary School Head teacher Lencane Dlamini believes that positive discipline is the root cause of all the riots experienced in schools across the country in the past couple of months.

Dlamini made this startling allegation during the Eswatini Principals Association’s (EPA) Extraordinary Meeting which took place at Mfanyana Hall on Wednesday. According to Dlamini, ever since the introduction of positive discipline, pupils have been uncontrollable, hence the riots that have been recently witnessed in schools.

She stated that a majority of these pupils were now confused. She wondered how on earth a primary school pupil could even think of inciting a protest. She mentioned that in order to get rid of the ill-behaviour amongst pupils, corporal punishment should be reinstated.

“Pupils should be reprimanded for misbehaviour, first by their parents and then by teachers in their respective schools,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lomahasha Central High Principal Khuza Tsabedze said principals across the country should unanimously close schools to force government to heed to their grievances.

Ungovernable According to Tsabedze, there is serious shortage of funds in schools countrywide, which has rendered a majority of schools ungovernable.

He pointed out that some schools were without electricity and water, while others were failing to pay their support staff as a result of the financial constraints, which came as a result of government’s failure to remit free primary education (FPE) and the orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) grants.

He then wondered why head teachers were not closing down schools to express their disgruntlement rather than continuing with operations as if everything was under control.

“Mosi akusasebenteki, why then are we not closing schools as a sign that we are no longer able to cope because by going to school every day, we are sending a message that all is well in our schools,” said Tsabedze.

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