HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS MUST BE TAUGHT THE RIGHT STEPS TO FOLLOW

It remains unarguable that any action we exhibit influences either negatively or positively on the environment, organisation and people around us. We are models, our behaviour and actions shape our environment and portray it in a different light. The recent mass strike by the working sector which lasted more than three weeks can prove immensely to this analysis. Over 1.3 million strong Public workers engaged in the strike including teachers, civil service workers and health workers. The Army were deployed to take control of many state hospitals. Even the court couldn’t stop the essential service workers from participating in the strike as they remained defiant to the law to prove their cause. This remains the most significant strike since the end of apartheid in 1994.The deadlock issue was a pay rise and increase in housing allowance. The unions were demanding 8.6% salary increase and 1000 Rand housing allowance monthly. In Kimberly, a high school had to be vacated after non-striking teachers were intimidated. Worse still, there was act of vandalism, trashing and intimidation by striking workers. These ushered a negative precedent for our youths and kids who unwittingly believes that violent protests remains the option to resolve unsettled issues. But behind all these, the frustration lies in the slow pace of change in the last 16 years.
However, have we ever considered what gingered the recent protest by high school pupils? It was said that violence begets violence. It must have been realistic enough to conclude that the three weeks of Public strike action that left the pupils at home created in them probably subconsciously the act of violence or the notion to believe that violence gets one what one wants. May be, analysing the similarities on the violent actions that occurred within these months will give us untainted perspective on why our kids behaved in such unruly manner.
Public Service Strike:
Marred by few deaths,
8.6% salary increase,
Government been inconsiderate,
Some strikers intimidated those not participating in the strike and violently threatened them to join the strike.

High School Protest:
Young girl shot dead with few wounded,
Demand that the Education sector offer 25marks free in their exam,
Rethusegile high school pupils went to Iketletso high School and allegedly forced Grade 12 pupils writing exams to stop from writing their exams and apparently two children were stabbed when exam papers were grabbed from their hands.

Moreover, in as much as I strongly support Peaceful March, violent protests should in its strictest sense be condemned. The Authorities could however be blamed for the death of a young school grade 12 pupil who lost her life during the recent protest. There was no proper detestation of the violent impact of the Public Servants Strike. Operant conditioning (Reinforcement theory) had to be enforced. Operant conditioning involves individuals learning that by acting in a particular way, they determine the consequences of their behaviours. Positive or negative reinforcement increases the likelihood that certain behaviours will be repeated. The life of this young lady would have been saved if the (former) violent strike of the Public Servants was strongly condemned and culprits made to face the law in its strictest sense.


As the Public Service Strikers carried placards which read 8.6% salary increase, the pupils carried theirs saying 25marks increase. Of course, school pupils inculcated and internalised what they learnt from the Public Servants Strikes, they (pupils) don’t necessarily grasp that marks are earned. Partially, the workers deserve the courtesy and have the right to ask for a wage increase because they earned it through hard work but for a high school pupil to demand free marks in exams is absurd, unethical and this should be curtailed else it develops as a norm. The Education Minister days ago announced that marks should be earned and not given ‘free of charge’. As teachers, parents, adults, the onus lies on us to imbibe in our kids the philosophy of hard work, eagerness, non-violent attitude and positivity. Some of us will attest to the fact that at the age of Grade 12, we hardly engaged in violence protests. We have a huge impact to play to curtail the reoccurrence of this disgusting situation. The authorities can do their bit by postponing these exams or evaluating these pupils based on the curriculum or schedules that have been covered before the strike as this will eliminate such acts of violence in our kids in future.
At last, let the authorities emphasise and re-emphasise on behaviour modification-the fact that peaceful protest remains the ultimate process to get one’s view across and imbibe in our youths the right step to follow to assure that their issues or concerns are addressed properly.