The role of educators in enhancing the social wellness of juvenile offenders in Midlands region prison and correctional services in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the role of educators in enhancing the social wellness on juvenile offenders in Zimbabwe. The theoretical framework that underpinned the study was the Wellness Theory of Bill Hettler (1980) used as the lens to explore and generate understanding on how educators enhance the social wellness of juvenile offenders. The study was located within an interpretive paradigm. Qualitative research design and case study approach were used in this study. Moreover, purposive sampling approach was used to select the samples of educators and juvenile learners who responded to the qualitative questionnaires and those who participated in the interviews, which were used for data collection. The research had five educators and ten juvenile offenders who participated at one of the correctional centres in Zimbabwe based on availability and willingness. In addition, the researcher adhered to ethical standards in terms of gaining permission for access, issues of informed consent, voluntary participation, and confidentiality. Data were gathered by means of self-administered qualitative questionnaires with open-ended questions, interviews and observation. The research identified that no research has been carried out in Zimbabwe’s correctional centres to thoroughly explore the role of educators in the enhancement of the social wellness of juvenile offenders. The findings firstly revealed that education promoted the social wellness and resulted in positive behavioural change among juvenile offenders at the correctional centre. Secondly, education promoted the development of various technical skills in juvenile learners, such as agriculture and welding, as well as interpersonal skills such as anger management, respect, problem solving, and communication. The findings revealed that some juvenile offenders developed entrepreneurship skills. Some of the juveniles were making doormats, fence making and plaiting extensions. One of the juveniles had a unique skill in plaiting and braiding. He taught his friends, and now they are plaiting extensions and selling them. Thirdly, the findings revealed that educators are essential in the enhancement of the social wellness of juvenile offenders in an effort to reduce recidivism and facilitation of good and smooth social reintegration into mainstream society after incarceration. The challenges faced by the educators included limited resources and inadequate training as specialists who teach juvenile offenders. It was recommended that educators be empowered through in-service training to enable them to facilitate the capacitation of juvenile learners’ social wellness.

Ucwaningo lolu luphenye ngendima yothisha ekuthuthukisweni kwenhlalonhle yabantu abahlukumezanayo abasebasha eZimbabwe. Lolu cwaningo lugqamisa imfundo yasejele njengengxenye ebalulekile yenqubo yokuvuselela kanye nentuthuko yezoni zabasha. Uhlaka lwethiyori oluqondise lolu cwaningo luyimodeli yokuphila kahle ekaBill Hettler futhi ucwaningo lutholwa phakathi kwomongo wendaba ohumushekayo. Kusetjenziswe ukuhlahlela okuphathelene nesimo kanye nokuhlaziya okubhekane nesimo esisodwa noma nomuntu oyedwa isikhathi esithile okwenziwe esikhungweni esisodwa sokuLungiswa eZimbabwe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isampula elinenhloso lalisetshenziselwa ukukhetha isampula eyayiqukethe othisha abahlanu nabahlukumezi abasebasha abayishumi. Leli sampula labantu lihanganyele ngokutholakala kanye nokuvuma kwayo. Umcwaningi wenze izinto ngenkambo elungileyo ngocela imvume yokungena endaweni, ukuthola imvume ebhaliwe ebantwini abayingxenye yocwaningo, ukuhlanganyelwa ngokuzikhethela, nokugcina umbiko ngokwemfihlo. Idatha iqoqwe ngohlu lwemibuzo evulekile, izingxoxo kanye nokubukwa. Lokhu okutholiwe kubonisa ukuthi alukho ucwaningo oluyenziwe emajele aseZimbabwe ukuhlola indima yothisha ekuthuthukisweni kwenhlalonhle yabantu abahlukumezanayo abasebasha. Ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi, okokuqala, imfundo ithuthukisa inhlalonhle yomphakathi, futhi iholele ekuguqukeni kokuziphatha okuhle kubahlukumezi abasebasha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imfundo ithuthukise amakhono ahlukahlukene wezobuchwepheshe, njengezolimo, ukushisela, namakhono wokusebenzisana nabantu njengokuphatha intukuthelo, inhlonipho, ukuxazulula izinkinga nokukhulumisana. Okunye okutholakele ukuthi abanye abahlulumezi bathuthukise ikhono lokuqala ibhizinisi elizimele. Abanye bayenze izisulelo zasemnyango, ukuyenza ucingo, nokuluka. Omunye wabahlukumezi nokhono olukhethekile lokuqhina izinwele. Wafundisa abangani bakhe, kanti futhi manje baqhina imifakelo yezinwele, bese bayazithengisa. Okwesithathu, ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi abothisha babalulekile ekuthuthukisweni kwenhlalonhle yabantu abahlukumezanayo abasebasha njengendlela yokugwema ukona ukophindaphindiwe kwabahlukumezi, kanye nokuthuthukisa ukubuyela kwabo ephakathini okukahle emva kwokuboshwa. Ezinye izinselelo ezibhekane nabothisa izinsizakusebenza ezilinganiselwe nokuqeqeshwa okunganele njengongoti abafundisa iziboshwa zentsha. Kululekwe ukuthi othisha banikezwe amandla ngokuqeqeshwa basasebenza okuzokwenza ukuthi balungiselele ukhlomisa kwenhlalonhle yabantu abahlukumezanayo abasebasha.

Chinangwa chetsvakurudzo ino chaiva chekuongorora basa revarairidzi mukuvandudza ukama nemagariro akanaka munharaunda evapari vemhosva vechiki muZimbabwe. Donzvo rakateverwa netsvakurudzo ino raiva ramafungiro ava Bill Hetter (1980) anotaridza zveukama namagariro akanaka ayo akashandiswa semuono wekuferefeta nekubudisa manzwisisiro angavapo pakuti varairidzi vangavandudza sei ukama namagariro akanaka munharaunda evapari vemhosva vechidiki. Tsvakurudzo iyi yakazendama pamafungiro anosimbisa madudzirirwo akanaka epfungwa. Mutsvakurudzi akashandisa maonere anokoshesa kunzwisisa mashoko avanhu munharaunda, maitiro avo nemaonere avo. Mutsvakurudzo iyi, umboo hwakadzika hwakatorwa muzviitiko zvikuru zvakamiririra zviitiko zvakada kufanana nazvo. Pamusoro pazvo, avo vakasharwa kuti vave vapi vepfungwa vakasarudzwa zvichienderana nezvavakambosangana nazvo uyewo zvavanoziva pamusoro pedambudziko riri kuferefetwa. Vapi vepfungwa ava vaisanganisira varairidzi uye vadzidzi vechidiki vemazera epakati nepakati. Ava vakapindura mibvunzo yaiva yakagadzirwa pamagwaro avaizadzisa uye vamwe vakaita zvekupa pfungwa dzavo kupfurikidza nehurukuro dzakarongwa nemutsvakurudzi. Pfungwa dzakabuda mutsvakurudzo iyi dzakabuda kubva kuvarairidzi vashanu nevapari vemhosva vechidiki gumi avo vakasarudzwa kubva munzvimbo dzinochengeterwa vakapara mhosva nechinangwa chekuvavandudza mararamiro avo muZimbabwe zvichienderana neuvepo hwavo uye kuzvisarudzira zvakasunguka kupinda mutsvakurudzo. Mutsvakurudzi akatevera mitemo inomusungira kuremekedza kodzero dzevanhu, uye nzvimbo zvinosanganisira kuwana mvumo yekupinda munzvimbo, kupa vapi vepfungwa ruzivo rwakakwana pamusoro pechinangwa chetsvakurudzo, kupa vapi vepfungwa sununguko yekupinda mutsvakurudzo pasina kumanidzwa uyewo mutsvakurudzi akavimbisa kubata hana nekusashambadzira mazita avanhu vakapinda mutsvakurudzo. Pfungwa dzakaunganidzwa kuchishandiswa magwaro emibvunzo akapiwa kunevamwe vevakapinda mutsvakurudzo. Mutsvakurudzi pachezvake ndiye akagovera magwaro aya kuvapi vepfungwa. Mibvunzo yaiva mumagwaro aya yaipa vapi vepfungwa mukana wekurondedzera maonero avo vakasununguka. Dzimwe nzira dzakashandiswa dzaisanganisira hurukuro pakati pemupi wepfungwa nemutsvakurudzi uye kuongorora kupfurikidza nekucherechedza zvakadzika zviitiko. Tsvakurudzo iyi yakawana kuti hapana tsvakurudzo yati yamboitwa inoongorora basa revarairidzi mukuvandudza ukama nemagaririo akanaka munharaunda evana vemazero epakati nepakati munzvimbo dzinochendeterwa vapari vemhosva nechinangwa chekuvandudza magariro avo akanaka munharaunda. Chekutanga, kwakaonekwa kuti dzidzo inosimudzira ukama nemagariro akanaka munharaunda zvinozoita kuti pave nekushanduka kwakanaka kweunhu hwevapari vemhosva vechidiki vezera repakati nepakati. Chepiri, zvakabuda kuti dzidzo inosimudzira kuvandudzwa kweunyanzvi hwekurima, kupisira simbi, kudyidzana, kuzvidzora pahasha, ruremekedzo, kugadzirisa matambudziko uye kutaurirana. Zvakabuda mutsvakurudzo zvinotaridza kuti vamwe vapari vemhosva vechidiki vakavandudza unyanzvi hwekutanga mibato inovandudza upfumi. Vamwe vechidiki ava vaigadzira zvidhava zvepamikova, mafenzi uye kuruka kwamazuva ano. Umwe wevechidiki ava akataridza unyanzvi hwepamusoro hwekuruka nekukosha bvudzi remvere mumusoro. Akadzidzisa vamwe vake avo vave mubasa rekuruka nekukosha bvudzi remvere vachitengesa. Chetatu, zvakaonekwa kuti varairidzi vakakosha pakuvandudza ukama nemagariro akanaka evadiki vezera rekapati nepakati munharaunda nechinangwa chekudzikisa kupariwazve kwemhosva naavo vakasimbopara mhosva uye kuona kuti kupinda nekukwana zvakare munharaunda kwevakambopara mhosva kwaitwa zvakanaka pasina zvigozhero. Matambudziko anosanganikwa nawo navarairidzi anosanganisira kushaikwa kwezvishandiso uye kushaikwa kwemukana wekudzidza unyanzvi hwakakwana hwekudzidzisa vapari vemhosva vechidiki vezera repakati nepakati. Mutsvakurudzi akapa rairo yekuti varairidzi vapiwe unyanzvi kupfurikidza nekudzidziswa vari pamabasa avo zvingaite kuti vagone kubetsera vechidiki vemazera epakati nepakati ukama nemagarire akanaka munharaunda.