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School strikes motorized by illicit drugs
2007-11-19 08:27:08
By Editor
Stories of student unrest are not new in Tanzania. However, the new mode of student protests in Tanzania, especially those in secondary schools, is a unique and worrying development.
Just recently, it was reported that irate students in Mbozi District had mowed down a whole two acres of crops in a school farm and destroyed official documents.
Worse still, the whole student population thereafter disappeared into the bush.
The students were apparently protesting against the action taken by the authorities to prevent some of them from sitting for an examination, and also for the punishment meted out on those who were caught making love within the school compound.
Some few months ago, a student lost his life in a commotion that occurred between students who clashed with local militia in Iringa Region after the former had vandalized school property and beaten up a teacher.
The commotion arose after some students were allegedly found in possession of bhang rolls and were taken to the police station by a teacher.
In reaction, a group of enraged students invaded the police station in an attempt to free their colleagues.
They almost overpowered the policemen on duty, had it not been for the local militia who intervened.
There are even some worse incidents which had occurred in Tarime District, which we need not narrate in detail for lack of sufficient space.
It all boils down to the fact that there is something seriously wrong in our schools, because much as school unrest in not something exceptionally strange, it seems that there is a hidden devil in the whole affair, and this is none other than rampant drug abuse in many boarding schools.
The result of this is motorized energy which is the driving force of most protest incidents.
To prove this, you only need to ask why a whole batch of 500 pupils has disappeared into the bush for a number of days.
What could be the power that motivates them to do so?
Whatever the genuineness of their grievances, who can justify such irrational and totally irresponsible behaviour? How come that our teachers are now at the mercy of young, crooked, irresponsible twisted minds?
Are their parents aware of the behaviour of their children?
Once a student has reached secondary school level and above, he is expected to be involved in student activism that reflects his status, like work done to effect political, environmental or social change.
If there is a reason to lodge a strong protest, there are proper civilized channels which an enlightened student community can follow.
With all respects, if proved to have been true, the action of the 500 students of Msia Secondary School in Mbozi District is uncouth, unintelligible and don quixotic.
A full national debate is needed on the causes of such growing student unrest, otherwise we are set to produce and reproduce such mediocre by-products en masse from our school system such that they won’t be of much use except fomenting workplace and public unrest in future.
These boys and girls need a right doze to save them from the peril they are already in, which they don`t realize.
To the Minister for Education: Given this picture, your task is not enviable at all.
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