07 Nov 2016

Kgari Sechele II Senior Secondary School head has hailed the stakeholder engagement programme.

Mr Lapologang Kolagano said in an interview that the programme, which was launched in June, targeted junior and senior secondary schools. The programme addressed declining discipline among students, early dating drug and alcohol abuse.

He said cluster volunteers had been engaged to patrol around the school to ensure there was no loitering.

“Nowadays students do not just go outside school during lessons without proof of permission because they know cluster officers will give them a hard time,” he said.

Mr Kolagano said social workers have also been brought on board to assist in cases where students tend to misbehave or even go astray from their parents’ homes due to abuse..

“Every fortnight, pastors and dikgosi address students about issues of discipline and assertiveness during assembly time,” highlighted Mr Kolagano.

Mr Kolagano raised concern that parents were not showing commitment towards the programme and suggested they be facilitated about the importance of the programme.

For his part, Kgosi Timoteo Gaealashwe of Tshosa Ward, said stakeholders agreed in unison that corporal punishment had to be intensified in schools.

He also said the programme had been able to minimise incidents of petty fights which often led to student stabbing each other.

Meanwhile, Molepolole police station, Superintendent Charles Mbengwa, said engaging cluster volunteers to play a role in the programme helped a lot.

He said the programme had also broken the habit of students who would carry dangerous weapons to school since the cluster volunteers conducted spot searches. ENDS