The role of discipline in circumventing school violence in selected secondary schools of Mamelodi township in Gauteng

Abstract

This study focuses on violence occurring in schools from a holistic perspective. The increase in the number of violent cases reported as directed towards learners and teachers in most township schools located in the Tshwane South District prompted the researcher to focus his attention on a search for new and viable strategies that would be suitable and effective for the circumvention or reduction of the level of violence in schools. Therefore, this study further focused on the role that proper discipline could play in circumventing school violence. A qualitative research approach was used in the empirical investigation. The study was conducted at ten secondary schools located in Mamelodi township in Gauteng province. Purposeful sampling comprised ten school principals, ten members of the School Governing Body (SBG) (parent component), ten members of learner representative councils (LRCs), and 50 teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with principals, SGB members and learners from LRCs. Qualitative survey questionnaires were completed by teachers. Data were analysed and interpreted using the Constant Comparative method of data analysis. The findings of the study revealed that most teachers lack effective administrative training and support in handling issues of discipline and curbing violence. The educational level of the parent component of the SGB should be considered, as lack of education limits and interferes with the quality of policy making, interpretation and implementation, pertaining to school discipline. It was concluded that teachers, learners and parents need to be workshopped on how to effectively deal with discipline. The major recommendations of this study are that the department of education should include in its curriculum topics that deal with violent behaviour such as bullying, drug abuse, domestic violence, and suicidal thoughts in school subjects such as life orientation, and that tertiary institutions should also design and make available researched and tested conflict and violence management programmes; and infuse them into the tertiary education curriculum.

Hierdie studie fokus op geweld wat in skole voorkom vanuit 'n holistiese perspektief. Die toename in die aantal gewelddadige voorvalle wat aangemeld word en wat gerig is op leerders en onderwysers in die meeste township-skole in die Tshwane-Suid-distrik het die navorser genoop om sy aandag te vestig op 'n soeke na nuwe en lewensvatbare strategieë wat geskik en effektief kan wees om geweld in skole te bekamp. Hierdie studie het verder gefokus op die rol wat behoorlike dissipline kan speel om skoolgeweld te hanteer. 'n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is in die empiriese ondersoek gebruik. Die studie is uitgevoer by tien sekondêre skole in Mamelodi township in die Gauteng provinsie. Doelgerigte steekproefneming het bestaan uit tien skoolhoofde, tien skoolbeheerliggaamslede (ouerkomponent), tien leerderraadlede en 50 onderwysers. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met skoolhoofde, lede van die skoolbeheerliggaam (ouerkomponent) en leerders van die leerderraad. Kwalitatiewe opnamevraelyste is deur onderwysers voltooi. Data is ontleed en geïnterpreteer deur gebruik te maak van die Constant Comparative-metode van data-analise. Die bevindinge van die studie het aan die lig gebring dat die meeste onderwysers nie oor doeltreffende administratiewe opleiding beskik nie en nie die nodige ondersteuning kry om kwessies van dissipline te hanteer of om geweld te bekamp nie. Die opvoedkundige vlak van die ouerkomponent in die beheerliggaam moet aandag kry, aangesien die gebrek aan opleiding die kwaliteit van beleidmaking, interpretasie en implementering, met betrekking tot skooldissipline, beperk en daarmee inmeng. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat onderwysers, leerders en ouers 'n werksessie moet kry oor hoe om dissipline doeltreffend te hanteer. Die hoofaanbevelings van hierdie studie behels dat die departement van onderwys die onderwerpe van gewelddadige gedrag by die kurrikulum moet insluit en dat tersiêre instellings ook bewese konflik- en geweldbestuursprogramme by hul onderwyskurrikulum behoort in te sluit.

Phuputso ena e shebane le pefo e etsahalang likolong ho latela pono e akaretsang. Keketseho ea palo ea linyeoe tsa merusu e tlalehiloeng joalo ka ha e tobisitsoe ho baithuti le matichere likolong tse ngata tsa makeisheneng tse Seterekeng sa Tshwane Boroa e ile ea etsa hore mofuputsi a tsepamise maikutlo ho batleng maoala a macha a ka bang a loketseng le a sebetsang bakeng sa ho qoba kapa phokotso ya boemo ba dikgoka dikolong. Ka hona, phuputso ena e ile ea boela ea shebana le karolo eo khalemelo e nepahetseng e ka e bapalang ho qoba pefo ea sekolo. Ho ile ha sebelisoa mokhoa oa ho etsa lipatlisiso tsa boleng lipatlisisong tsa mahlale. Boithuto bona bo entsoe likolong tse leshome tsa sekondari tse fumanehang lekeisheneng la Mamelodi profinseng ea Gauteng. Sampling e nang le morero e ne e na le baokameli ba likolo tse leshome, litho tse leshome tsa Sehlopha se Busang sa Sekolo (SBG) (karolo ea batsoali), litho tse leshome tsa makhotla a baemeli ba baithuti (LRCs), le matichere a 50. Lipuisano tse sa hlophisehang li ile tsa etsoa le mesuoe-hlooho, litho tsa SGB le baithuti ba tsoang LRCs. Lipotso tsa tlhahlobo ea boleng li ile tsa tlatsoa ke matichere. Lintlha li ile tsa hlahlojoa le ho hlalosoa ka mokhoa oa Constant Comparative oa tlhahlobo ea data. Liphuputso tsa phuputso li senotse hore matichere a mangata ha a na koetliso e matla ea tsamaiso le tšehetso mabapi le ho sebetsana le litaba tsa khalemelo le ho thibela pefo. Boemo ba thuto ba karolo ea motsoali ea SGB bo lokela ho nkoa, kaha khaello ea meeli ea thuto le ho kena-kenana le boleng ba ho etsoa ha maano, tlhaloso le phethahatso, e amanang le boitšoaro ba sekolo. Ho ile ha phethoa ka hore matichere, baithuti le batsoali ba lokela ho rupeloa mabapi le mokhoa oa ho sebetsana le khalemelo ka katleho. Litlhahiso tse kholo tsa phuputso ena ke hore lefapha la thuto le kenyelletse litabeng tsa kharikhulamo tse buang ka boitšoaro bo mabifi joalo ka bompoli, tšebeliso e mpe ea lithethefatsi, tlhekefetso ea malapeng, le menahano ea ho ipolaea lithutong tsa sekolo tse kang thuto ea bophelo, le hore litsi tsa thuto e phahameng le tsona li lokela ho etsa joalo. rala le ho etsa hore ho be le manane a entsoeng lipatlisiso le a lekiloeng a taolo ea likhohlano le pefo; le ho li kenya lenaneong la thuto e phahameng.