Society is to blame for the current cases of student unrest in schools across the country. The primary culprits in this case are the parents, political leaders and the government. Politicians and leaders only double up as parents and mentors while at home and social places. They easily influence students and the youth who emulate them.

If politicians, leaders and parents can get away with corruption, tribalism, dirty politics, promiscuity, alcoholism, drug abuse and other social vices, what then should we expect of students if we are in a culture of impunity?

Parents and guardians have always left their children to lead carefree lives without setting boundaries. There are cases of parents who have helped their children fake examination documents including result slips when they fail to get better grades at their own capabilities, than to encourage them to work harder next time.

The Ministry of Education also needs dire policy changes. “Learning” than mere “Education” should be the yardstick. Certainly, ‘education is the theory of teaching and learning, while ‘Learning’ is the knowledge gained or act of gaining knowledge. It could thus mean ‘relatively’ permanent change in behavior that occurs as a direct result of the learning experience.’ Our education system encourages unfair academic competition that causes unending anxiety  and frustrations that translate into uncontrolled misbehavior.

Our children saw some political leaders who had become unpopular and obsolete stealing electoral votes even before the cameras. They heard the so called honourables insult each other in public. Aren’t they simply emulating their leaders by torching school facilities and refusing to sit for examination, presenting their grievances ‘politically and as activists’? Isn’t the behavior a reflection of the actions of their mentors that took place during the post-election period? If leaders can literally ‘steal’ votes, who are students not to ‘buy’ exam papers so as to pass with flying colours?

These students  have special needs that need to be urgently tackled. Force will not help. Majority have since displayed changes in behavior that can be difficult to manage without policy changes on education in the country. Given time, patience, right support and a lot of care, such students will lead full and productive lives.

It is our responsibility to move from negative stereotypes and stigmatization of students in order to help handle their own-selves effectively. We are unable to rightly understand their inner desires for academic change, passions to be like other achievers and their struggle to transform and leave the current ‘negative ways’ behind. Most of us appear to be in denial over the fate and future of our students as we engage them disruptively in our partisan affairs.

We let them live in a virtual world, divorced from the realities of healthy living including good social relations. We make them believe that heavy drinking, pre-marital sex and abortions are in vogue. So, what should we expect of our students in future, and we as unprincipled parents, mentors and young parents to be? Isn’t this negligence and immorality that are deeply paralyzing our social ethics and parenthood at the expense of the realities facing students?

Thus, family breakdown has been a major factor facing students and effects can be devastating. The current collapse of the traditional family unit seems to be a serious a threat to our nation as tribalism, hatred, crime, drugs, global warming, terrorism and disease.

Many students could act as mentors when their voices are truly heard. . When they fail to get simple answers to their delicate life’s questions, they become frustrated and indulge in misbehavior only for us to later re-name our own blood and children as being in-disciplined.

Mundia Mundia Jnr

Clinical Physiatrist