Children are victims of inert or hooligan ‘adults’

It takes a proper  adult to understand the saying “children must be loved and not hurt”. A mature, responsible adult is one who understands that children at whatever age have real sensitivities, both physically and emotionally.

Unlike adults, children have far more limited opportunities to take decisions of their own and do whatever they like.

This is so because, in the natural scheme of things, parenting by its nature entails and includes taking decisions for children.

It takes a mature adult to realise the real impact of their decisions on children both in the short and long term.

It also takes a mature adult to appreciate that being a child does not mean you’re an object. It simply means you are a human being in a particular state of development.

As they say children live what they see. But children also have strong views about issues and often how they express their views is unpredictable.

Recently  it was reported that four Mthatha pupils were arrested and charged with malicious damage to property. The four were allegedly intoxicated and did all of this at school.

The target of their intoxication and actions were their teachers in particular.

At face value this suggests they have no regard for the authority or status of their teachers as both mentors and parents. These were young children, possibly not even a quarter in age of the youngest teacher at the school.

No doubt this is completely disrespectful and abhorrent behaviour and must not be condoned by any means.

Of course, it also raises a host of other issues including school security and what society should be doing to develop children with acceptable manners and respect. More recently parents who happened to be teachers were reported to have behaved in an equally improper way towards children.

They stopped a schools’ music competition in East London for  what appears to be   an internal dispute within a union.

How the children were dragged into this dispute boggles the mind.

But what the teachers did was to punish innocent children for the very failure of adults to handle their own problems and deal with issues amongst themselves.

Apparently behind this action was a group opposed to the dissolution of the provincial working committee of Sadtu in the province and the appointment of a provincial task team.

Now the children are neither union members nor did they directly or indirectly contribute to any of the decisions that created this dispute.

These are children who, under the stewardship of committed teachers and parents, engaged in intensive practise and training for the day, for them a big day indeed.

For some of these children, it was a once in a lifetime outing.

Anyone can attest to the excitement one had in those rare instances of a school trip. At times even sleeping would be an effort due to the excitement.

Now just imagine the disappointment these children suffered due to this illogical decision.

But it is not only those whose actions were purely those of hooligans who were responsible. Behind the success of this group is the fact that other colleagues, the children’s parents and the government remains passive.

This inertia, it appears, has given these hooligans who masquerade as teachers the licence to do as they please with children.

Because there are no consequences, they have arrogated to themselves the right to decide the future of the children including when these children can have the fun that children must have.

Maybe the fact   they were removed from office better explains why even their own cannot tolerate them any longer. But that they could not even respect their colleagues who took so much time and applied so much effort in preparing the children and arranging the event is sad indeed.

Further, in considering the children, one of their important developmental needs is proper emotional stability.

Children must experience constancy and see  teachers as worthy role models, not hooligans who deprive them of their joy to play.

It is schools’ music competitions and these types of activities that contribute significantly to the development of children. It is also these activities that keep children away from things like drugs and alcohol.

It is also events like music competitions that build and strengthen the bond and respect between children and their teachers.

Taking away such an opportunity means these children must develop a different view of teachers. It means children must grow up with a loss of respect for their teachers.

And then we are surprised when four young children imitate hooligan teachers who disrupt their joy and fun.

It is time parents stand up for their children.

Innocent children cannot be held to ransom by those who seek to achieve personal interest at the expense of those who are paid to mentor them. It just cannot be.

This is also a reflection on the teachers themselves.

They continue to allow themselves to be associated with those whose interest is not to advance the cause of our freedom. Their struggles and gains of many years are being eroded.

Not only will the children stop respecting teachers but so too will society at large.

This will represent a sad chapter in our life. We just cannot afford to have teachers who do not enjoy the respect of children and society.

But respect must be earned. And it is earned as a starting point by giving it.

The best place for teachers to deposit their respect is between themselves and then our children. The fundamentals of their job is to respect and teach our children to respect.

Schools are meant to be the breeding ground for responsible adults, to be incubators for the development of future leaders, future heads of households and to become centres of excellence.

Certainly they should not be centres and places to abuse our children for selfish personal interest.

Modidima Mannya is a former    education  department superintendent-general