Everson Luhanga
Spring Day celebrations have landed some Alexandra High School learners in trouble with the authorities.
They celebrated by vandalising school furniture, spraying each other with water from fire hydrants, insulting educators and attacking one female security guard.
On Monday Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, the chairperson of committees in the Gauteng Legislature, visited the school to find solutions for what happened on Friday.
Nkosi-Malobane said most unruly students were identified through CCTV footage. Some learners pointed out who the ringleaders and instigators were on the day.
She said there will be a programme and a process to instil discipline and manners in learners.
“After meeting with the school principal and the head of the local police station we have agreed to send police (Narcotics, K9 and Social Crime units) to the school this week,” she said.
Nkosi-Malobane also said that for the next five Fridays, as part of detention, identified culprits will be required to clean all classrooms and toilets. On the fifth Friday, learners will be mandated to fix desks under the supervision of the school handyman.
Learners will then be taken to Leeuwkop Prison to show them that if they behave again the way they did on Spring Day, they will end up being locked up.
Vincent Ndima for Alexandra School Safety said there are serious issues to be addressed by the provincial government to instil calm and remove bad behaviour from learners.
“We have agreed with Alex SAPS to visit the schools unannounced and raid them,” he said.
The Gauteng Department of Education called the behaviour of learners barbaric and uncalled for.
The department’s spokesperson Steve Mabona said they are calling upon parents to help in instilling good behaviour in their children.
“According to information at our disposal, learners who were allegedly celebrating Spring Day on 1 September 2022 shockingly disrupted schooling just before lunchtime and damaged furniture, fire extinguishers and wasted water.”
The extent of damages is still to be determined.
Mabona said an investigation was launched to find the culprits. Subsequently, a disciplinary committee will determine the outcome accordingly.
“Such ill-discipline will not be tolerated in our schools,” he said.
