Parents urged to step up as students delinquency escalates

Abang Tapologo | Monday July 3, 2023 06:00

The issue of drugs, alcohol and teenage pregnancy among school-aged children is a growing concern that demands immediate attention. As a result, parents can no longer blame COVID-19 for children’s academic failures.

While many factors contribute to this problem, it is crucial to acknowledge the significant role parents play in shaping their children’s behaviour and should be held accountable for their children’s involvement in these matters.

This was said by some stakeholders including renowned social worker, Dr Kgomotso Jongman and teacher unions. In education, performance has remained stagnant across grades for the past three consecutive years.

In primary schools learners that have obtained Grade C or better declined slightly over the last year to 70.49% from 72.01% showing an insignificant decline of 1.52%. The number of candidates that have achieved 6C’s or better is stagnant from 21.17% in 2020 to 21.37% for the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary (BGCSE). In the Junior Community schools, in 2022 the students that attained grade C or better were standing at 36.80% the year prior at 35.70% with only an improvement of 1.10%. One of the key reasons for the standstill has been found to be teenage pregnancy, which has lead to school dropouts, drugs and substance abuse that has risen within schools. ‘’We as parents were also affected by COVID-19 and because of that we want to hide behind the COVID-19 rather than take responsibility.

There are parents who are in denial and are not taking accountability but let their children get away with drugs and going out late without taking into consideration what is happening with their children bear in mind consequences will always be there it is a matter of how we deal with them as parents” said Dr Jongman. He further explained that parents are projecting their fears onto children which is why they never correct or apprehend them when they are at fault. As of last year teenage pregnancy in Botswana stood at a national ratio of 9.7 percent. This is worrisome as over 13 girls have dropped out of primary school from a total of 1,085 who dropped out nationwide all within the year of 2021.

The consecutive culture and sexuality are often tucked under the rug and parents not engaging children in “the birds and the bees” has brought situations whereby in secondary schools it has been reported that 2,566 girls left school as a result of pregnancy. In a past interview with Mmegi, the Minister of Education and Skills Development, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe disclosed that the central region of Botswana accounts for the highest percentage dropouts in teenage pregnancy followed by Kweneng and South regions at 13%, North West at seven percent, South East and Kgatleng at six percent, Kgalagadi at five percent, North East and Gantsi at three percent.

The secretary-general for Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU), Tobokani Rari expressed his great concern on schools. He feels that there is only much that the teachers can do to instill discipline. “Teachers have done their best to try and bring law and order in schools but they have not received any support,” Rari explained. The Kgatleng District Council in 2021 during a stop and search exercise recorded 57 boys and 11 girls in possession of dagga, cigarettes and alcohol.

The year prior, 103 boys and 15 girls were caught with the same drugs. This year, 54 boys and 10 girls were discovered with the same drugs and in that time too, 19 boys and two girls were found in primary schools for possession. This year 20 students from Ledumang Senior Secondary School in Gaborone were caught with space muffins (marijuana baked into muffins).

Subsequently Rari elucidated that students spiralling out of control these days could only be the fracas the teachers faced recently. “As you might be aware, an incident of cakes brought to school by students with concoctions of drugs and then fed to students happened not so long ago at Sir Seretse Khama Junior Secondary School. Holding parents accountable will foster a safer environment where students can thrive academically and emotionally without succumbing to harmful concoctions,” he said.