Remember High School? Remember having respect for the teachers and the principal at your school? Remember listening to them and learning some valuable life lessons from them? Remember getting a hiding from them if you caused kak? Most of you reading this probably do.

Well, unfortunately those “good times” seem to behind us. Some kids simply don’t respect their teachers or the principal at their schools. Maybe it’s because they’ve been dumbed down by the SA Education system? Maybe it’s because the passing grade has been lowered? Maybe it’s because kids are more concerned about video games and pop music than actually learning and bettering themselves? Maybe it’s because PT and History has been scrapped from the SA Education syllabus? Maybe it’s because parenting isn’t what it was back in the old days?

There are a lot of questions that one can ask when it comes to lack of respect for education officials at South African schools.  All I know is that the current state of affairs is appalling.

The reason I’m bringing this up is because a video showing a grade 8 Glenvista High School pupil assaulting a teacher in class has appeared on YouTube. The pupil can be seen kicking the teacher, throwing a chair at him and hitting him with a broom as fellow pupils scream profanities in support of their peer. The incident was captured by another pupil on a cellphone. The teacher did not react to the assault, other than to defend himself. Check out the video below:

This is appalling. Let me tell you something…. If I (or any of my classmates) attempted to do this back in the High School we would have gotten the hiding of a lifetime from our parents and from the principal. Chances are that we would have been expelled from school as well.

If you ask me, kids have way too many rights these days. I really hope this pip squeak gets the maximum form of punishment for his actions. Disciplinary action should be taken against the kids who were cheering him on too. Maybe the SA government should look at implementing more strict forms of punishment for behaviour of this kind. This incident should prompt the SA Government and educators to rethink the current Education policy for public schools. I doubt if this will happen though.

What are your thoughts about this? Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Feedback is appreciated and welcome here.

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