Educators in the country have proposed counselling sessions for student teachers and stiff punishments for perpetrators as best practices to curb vandalism and violence in secondary schools.
During a webinar held on Friday by the Education Society of Malawi (Esom) under the theme ‘Addressing the school violence and vandalism epidemic in Malawi’, the educators also called for timely funding for schools.
In his presentation, Justin Mthawanji, a teacher at Nalikule Demonstration Secondary School in Lilongwe, said about 19 schools have been vandalised in the country in recent years.
He said his study found that violence is caused by issues such as lack of transparency at school level, sexual relationships between teachers and students, substance abuse and failure to address students’ complaints
“There is a need for the government and stakeholders to promote programmes that provide counselling for students in schools and to ensure stiff punishments for students and teachers who flout laws,” said Mthawanji.
Educationist Naomi Mnthali, who works as a project officer at Unesco, proposed a whole-school approach involving all areas of the school including policy and procedures, teaching practices, curricula, community members and the physical and social environment.
She said educators , administrative and support staff need appropriate training and assistance to help establish a safe school environment.
Over the past two years, cases of vandalism in the country have occurred at Kamwanya Community Day Secondary School in Mchinji, Mzuzu Government Secondary School, St John Bosco in Mzimba and Khola and Nachitheme secondary schools in Ntcheu.
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