Ngabe izigelekeqe sezicasha ngomfaniswano ezikoleni
NGOKOMTHETHO-SISEKELO waseNingizimu Afrika umuntu oneminyaka eli-18 nangaphezulu uthathwa njengosekhulile osekwazi ukuhlukanisa okuhle nokubi futhi osekwazi nokuzithathela izinqumo.
Iminyaka eli-18 ngokuvamisile yiyona umuntu okumele aphothule ngayo imfundo yamabanga aphezulu eselungele ukuyoqala imfundo yasenyuvesi noma esevuthwe ngokwanele ukuthi usengasebenza noma aqale umndeni.
Ngenxa yekhwelo likaHulumeni wakuleli lokugqugquzela imfundo, nokuthi wonke umuntu azuze ibanga leshumi, sebebaningi abafundi abaneminyaka esukela kuma-20 ezikoleni abanye abasemabangeni angaphansi ngisho kweleshumi.
Ukukhula kwesibalo sabafundi asebekhulile ezikoleni iminyaka yabo engahambisani nebanga abakulo kunomthelela ekubhebhethekeni kodlame ezikoleni nokuqubuka kwamaqembu ezigebengu.
Kukhona ukukhuluma okuthi izigebengu sezicasha ngomfaniswano ngoba zazi ukuthi uma zibanjwa emacaleni zizoshaywa ngoswazi oluncane ngoba kuthiwa umfundi.
Ezinyangeni ezili-18 ezedlule sekube nochungechunge lwezigameko zokuhlaselana kwabafundi ezikoleni kuze kuphume izidumbu. Kulezi zigameko okuhlalukayo ukuthi abafundi basuke sebekhulile ngeminyaka abanye besemabangeni angaphansi kuneminyaka yabo.
Okunye okuvele ukuthi kugqugquzela amaqembu ezigebengu ezikoleni ukusetshenziswa kwezidakamizwa ngabafundi abanye baze bazidayise ngaphakathi kube yinto eyaziwayo.
Isigameko sakamuva kube ngesenzeke esikoleni iForest High School eGoli ngoMsombuluko lapho umfundi kaGrade 8 oneminyaka eli-18 egwazwe wafa emuva kwempi yamaqembu amabili abafundi ngaphakathi emagcekeni esikole. Abafundi ababili baphuthunyiswe esibhedlela kukubi benamanxeba okugwazwa.
Umfundi ongumsolwa kuleli cala uneminyaka engama-20, kanti umufi uDaniel Bakwela uneminyaka eli-18 kanti udunda uGrade 10. Abafundi abalimele baneminyaka eli-15 neli-18.
Esinye isigameko esenzeke ngoMandulo wezi-2018 kwaba ngesokuhlaselana kwabafundi esikoleni iMasakhaneni High School KwaMakhutha esaveza obala ukudlanga kwamaqembu phakathi kwabafundi ezikoleni. Kulesi sigameko abafundi ababili okunguSihle Mngadi owayefunda uGrade 11 noMangaliso Mbatha owayefunda uGrade 10 bagwazwa yiqembu labafundi empini okuthiwa yayikade iqubuke ngempelasonto.
UMangaliso kuthiwa wayengeyona ingxenye yabafundi ababelwa kodwa wangenelela ezama ukusiza kanti naye uzogwazwa. Nakuso lesi sigameko abafundi base bekhulile ngeminyaka ukuthi babengaba emabangeni ababekuwo.
Esinye isigameko esaba ngundabamlonyeni ngonyaka odlule kwaba ngesokufa kukathisha weRamotshere High School, eZeerust esifundazweni iNorth West owagwazwa umfundi oneminyaka yobudala eli-17 ngoNcwaba
Esikoleni i-Eldorado Park Secondary kwaboshwa umfundi oneminyaka yobudala eli-19 ofunda uGrade 11 emuva kokuba edonsele uthisha wakhe isibhamu.
Ziningi izikhalo emphakathini ngokuthi abafundi asebekhulile banomthelela wodlame ezikoleni ngoba basuke sebazi lukhulu futhi bafaka nomoya omubi wokudunga abanye abafundi izikole zigcine sezingasalawuleki.
Naphezu kwezikhalo zomphakathi, aboMnyango Wezemfundo Eyisisekelo bathi izikole azivumelekile ukuxosha abafundi ngenxa yeminyaka yabo njengoba umfundi obulewe eForest Hill eneminyaka eli-18 kodwa efunda uGrade 8.
UMnyango uthi uhlelo lwabo lwakhiwe ngendlela yokuthi lungagxili ekubhekeni iminyaka yomfundi nebanga, kodwa abakubheka kakhulu ukuthi umfundi akachithi iminyaka emibili ebangeni elilodwa egida ndawonye.
Okhulumela uMnyango Wemfundo Eyisisekelo uMnu u-Elijah Mhlanga uthe isikole asinacala kulesi simo ngoba besingeke sibachithe abafundi ngenxa yeminyaka yabo.
“Asivunyelwe ukuthi singaxosha abafundi ngenxa yeminyaka yabo. Okwethu ukuthi sibaseke, senze nesiqiniseko sokuthi bayaphasa badlulela emabangeni alandelayo. Sinomthwalo wokuqinisekisa ukuthi wonke umfundi uba sesikoleni imfundo kungabi yinto okunzima ukuyithola,” kusho uMhlanga.
Okunye okuyisikhalo esikhulu kubazali nakothisha ezikoleni ukuthi abafundi abalahlwa amacala bashaywa ngoswazi oluncane babuyele futhi ezikoleni baqhubeke benze okufanayo ngoba becashe ngomfaniswano.
UMphathiswa Wezemfundo eGauteng uMnu uPanyaza Lesufi uthi baphansi phezulu babheka izindlela zokuchibiyela umthetho ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi abafundi abalahlwe amacala ngale ndlela ababuyeli ezikoleni.
Njengamanje umthetho uthi umfundi owenze icala elikhulu uyasuswa kuleso sikole ayiswe kwesinye. Isikhalo esikhulu ukuthi ukushintshwa kwabafundi ngale ndlela akuyixazululi inkinga.
“Sisemkhankasweni wokubuyekeza umthetho iSouth African Schools Act, esikushoyo kusobala futhi kuyezwakala. Sithi laba bafundi kumele bayiswe ezikhungweni zokuhlunyeleliswa izimilo.
Uma sesanelisekile ngokuthi izimilo zabo seziguqukile bahlolwe nesimo somqondo sesingababuyisela ezikoleni uma konke kwanelisai,” kusho uLesufi.
Isikhulu esiphezulu senhlangano eyengamele izigungu zabazali ezikoleni iFederation of Governing Bodies of South Africa Schhols uMnu uPaul Colditz, uthi ngaphambi kokwenza izinto eziningi abafundi badinga ukufundiswa ngokuziphatha nokuhloniphana.
Uthi uma lokho kuhluleka isikole nesikole kumele sibe nomthetho ozokucacisa ukuthi owenza icala uzonikelwa emaphoyiseni futhi axoshwe nasesikoleni.
Uqhuba uthi okubuhlungu ukuthi abazali nezigungu abanawo amandla okuxosha abafundi noma besuke benobufakazi obubambekayo ngezenzo zabo eziwubugebengu.