| Abstrakt: |
The intensifying rate of school-based violence in South Africa has become a major concern for school management, non-governmental organisations and the government at large. The constant disruption of knowledge dissemination because of upheavals and conflicts within spaces of learning has diminished the value of education and threatened the peace and serenity of South African schools. Educators and learners alike are in constant fear for their lives and wellbeing whenever they are on some of these school premises. This paper argues that the escalating nature of school-based violence in South Africa cannot be divorced from the historical experiences of conflict and aggression as a form of resistance that were prevalent within the country during the time of apartheid. It is also important to note that violence within learning spaces in South Africa reflects the current prevalence of criminality within the country post-apartheid. This paper, through a qualitative approach, engaged 15 educators on their experiences of school-based violence in one of the most violent neighbourhoods in South Africa (Umlazi). It became evident that this menace has affected learning process and has grave educational, social, and psychological implications on learners and educators. The study therefore recommends that a combined approach, involving all stakeholders and institutions within the society, is required to curb the growing spate of school violence. Government and stakeholders must take the issue very seriously, as its effects spread across the board and impact on the productivity and attrition rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
