Dear Editor,

It is merely days away from the annual month-long celebration for children, but the actions of some have been worrying.

More and more videos are being circulated of children mercilessly raining blows on each other with no regard for life. The recent fights involving schoolchildren are not new, there were a number of viral fights on the resumption of face-to-face classes after the pandemic. To be fair to the Gen Zers, they are not the inventors of school fights, it has been around from before “Wappy” and “Phillup”. What should be noted is that fighting in school, then and now, is unacceptable.

Students are sent to school to be educated so that they can have a favourable future for themselves and their families. It would be foolhardy to think that students will not have disagreements, but the manner in which Gen Zers are settling their scores is cause for concern.

In 2023 a student was beaten to a pulp because he stepped on the shoe of his schoolmate. In 2022 a student was killed during an altercation over a guard ring. The situation has escalated to the point at which there is a call to have police posts in schools. This is because school administrators who are at times attacked by students fear for their safety.

The violent behaviour of this current crop of students can be linked to many factors, and while pointing fingers does not amount to solutions, silence does not help. All of us have a role to play in the raising children. However, we have so compromised the administering of disciplinary measures that we have now lost control.

The Government has established many agencies and groups to oversee the rights of children, but parents are left to figure their way out of the dark with shades covering their eyes. Parents cannot look at their children too hard, because they may find themselves standing before a magistrate to answer to charges of common assault.

It is correct to say the family is the foundation of a society, but if the foundation is not firm, then the society will come crashing down. The Government needs to focus on parents who are clueless about how to deal with the children of today. The schools should be empowered to make rules and instil some level of discipline. Children should be made to understand that there are consequences for their actions.

We owe it to our children to protect them from themselves.

Hezekan Bolton

h_e_z_e@hotmail.com