Times Of Swaziland: HEAD TEACHERS: SOME OVCS  CHAOTIC, REBELLIOUS

HEAD TEACHERS: SOME OVCS  CHAOTIC, REBELLIOUS
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Sibusiso Shange on 28/06/2024 07:34:00


EZULWINI - Head teachers say some OVCs cause chaos and make the learning
environment unfavourable in schools.
According to the head teachers, some of the orphaned and vulnerable children
(OVCs) were rebellious against teachers and had become unteachable. So serious
is the situation that the schools administrators have asked for the
establishment of a children’s court to deal with wayward pupils in learning
institutions. These issues were discussed by over 1 000 head teachers during
their meeting with Minister of Education and Training Owen Nxumalo, at
Somnjalose High School Hall yesterday.  Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thuli
Dladla, whose office is the custodian of vulnerable children, also attended the
meeting.  The ministry and its stakeholders met the head teachers in order to
get first-hand information pertaining to issues affecting the operations of
schools across the country.  The engagements were centred on the OVC grants,
free primary education (FPE), Schools Feeding Scheme and Grade 0, which were
deemed as the cause of frustration in schools around the country.
Uncooperative
Most head teachers shared the same sentiments that, inasmuch as they were
willing to give full support to OVCs, they found themselves losing interest
because some of them were uncooperative in class. Siphasha Dlamini, who was the
first to take the floor, said some OVCs caused chaos in schools, making the
learning environment unfavourable. Dlamini said the issue was deeper than one
could imagine, as it emanated from anger issues the children grew up with.  She
said some of the children still held the anger that they were not taken care of
by their relatives and guardians.
“Some OVCs are unmanageable, as they bring anger issues to school. They do not
cooperate in class; instead, they cause chaos when called to order. We find it
better to chuck them out of the classroom and remain with cooperative pupils,
than allowing one or two to disrupt lessons,” she said. Dlamini then suggested
that the DPM find a way to make a follow up on OVCs, so that they could be
manageable in schools. She said one way could be initiating social workers’
visits at least twice a week to schools, to be able to deal with the issues as
and when the need arose. “Children’s courts could be another solution to
deal with wayward pupils who cause chaos in schools,” she said. Dlamini also
decried the selection criteria for beneficiaries of the OVC grants. She said
some deserving children missed out on the grants as a result of not partaking in
customary activities, such as kuhlehla at the royal kraals. The head teacher
said some deserving pupils were deprived of the grants for certain fees owed to
their respective royal kraals.
“May the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office find a way to ensure transparency
concerning the selection of OVCs in communities. Some benefit from the grant,
while their parents are gainfully employed.”
Reiterated
Dlamini was echoed by Shewula High School Head teacher Bonginkhosi Mabila, who
reiterated that OVCs were not taken care of at family level. Mabila said it was
for that reason that OVCs created many problems in schools. He said the
availability of social workers for monitoring purposes in schools could help
save the situation.  Mabila said it would be unfair for head teachers to use
force on misbehaving OVCs in schools. He decried the selection criteria, stating
that some pupils were competing with the needy, yet their parents were gainfully
employed. Some head teachers mentioned civil servants, as their colleagues
raised the concern.
In response to the head teachers’ concerns, the DPM acknowledged the headache
caused by some pupils in schools and blamed it on the lack of monitoring from
parents at the family level.  She said some parents were too busy to look after
their children. She said the lack of monitoring by parents resulted in the
children being overwhelmed by peer pressure.
“Some children tend to be bossy in schools, because they lack parenting at the
family level. Their attitude draws negative attention to teachers, resulting in
them being viewed as wayward,” she said. Dladla said the visit by social
workers in schools could play a vital role in bringing the pupils to order.  She
said her office would try to avail social workers as and when the need arose,
even though they were short-staffed.
Career
Dladla said another solution could be strengthening career guidance with people
who had love for children, so that they could be able to mentor them. The DPM
did not respond to the suggestion of a children’s court for wayward pupils.
Coming to the selection criteria of OVCs in the country, Dladla said there was a
lot to be fixed. She said her office and its stakeholders were working on a
policy that would ensure transparency concerning the selection of beneficiaries
of the grants. She said the new policy would incorporate head teachers and
independent members of the communities, to ensure that deserving children were
not left out of the grants.  Dladla said leaving deserving pupils out of the OVC
grants was a sin that those who were responsible would meet in hell. She urged
the head teachers to join hands in building a future for the children and the
country.