By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
23 August 2025- The Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) in the North West on Friday condemned the conduct of several learners at Hoër Tegniese Skool in Klerksdorp describing it as despicable, bordering on criminality and barbarism.
The MRM said this follows a video that has gone viral on social media depicting an attack on a male teacher by several balaclava clad students, who poured a bucket of water on him and pelted him with papers on the school premises.
The Convenor of the MRM Provincial Interim Committee, Pastor Lesiba Kgwele said: “The level of disrespect, abuse and violence that our educators are subjected to on a daily basis has reached unacceptable and alarming proportions and unimaginable trauma.
“This warrants adoption of zero tolerance and stringent counter measures because not only does such conduct undermine discipline but a conducive atmosphere for effective learning and teaching particularly at most high schools.”
He commended the swift actions of school authorities assisted by learners to identify the culprits, who were involved as well as instituting disciplinary action. Kgwele urged education authorities and school communities not to allow schools to be breeding grounds of gangsters and criminality, pointing out that schools are microcosms of communities experiencing moral decay, collapse of family structures and senseless violence.
“This calls for united action as well as intensified effort to reclaim sound family and community values. The adopt-a-cop programme that is supposed to be part of the School Safety & the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QTLC) is in most cases either dysfunctional or overwhelmed by gangsterism, bullying, drug and substance abuse among learners as well as violent crimes that are encroaching into the school environment.
“A comprehensive roll out of a sustainable value driven schools programme will contribute towards curbing anarchy,” he said.
Kgwele underscored that an inclusive National Dialogue process should also focus on violence in schools, including safety in communities to entrench sound family and community values. He further said it will also afford diverse stakeholders with an interest in quality public education and safer communities to redefine the type of schools, communities and the South Africa that they want.
The Guardian 