Fighting Violence In School : Indispensible Teacher-Parent Partnership

In order to live a valuable life within any given community and contribute towards the social, economic, and political development of the nation, the appropriate skills, values, attitudes, knowledge, and competencies must be impacted into the individual. Stakeholders have experienced substantial increase in violence in secondary schools in the country by students. It is within this backdrop that school authorities are setting up partnership between parents and other stakeholders within the school communities to fight against unruliness in the school milieu.
The Principal of Government Bilingual Practicing High School (GBPHS) in Yaounde, Mrs Lekunze née Hannah Enanga Ngumbah says concerted efforts of stakeholders such as Parents, Teachers' Association (PTA), educational authorities, corporate bodies; former students’ associations and the government are working in partnership to fight against violence within GBPHS. She said that an effective cooperation exists between school authorities and parents. “There is a partnership between the school and parents at home. This is to ensure that any bad behaviour from students is reported to parents, who should take time to educate such students on the need to behave properly not only in the school, but the society at large,” Lekunze Hannah explained. She also revealed that there are forums for PTA members, through which parents are sensitized on what is happening within the school premises. Parents, on the other hand, sensitize their children at home on the dangers of indiscipline and violence which could lead to dismissal. Besides lectures from teachers and discipline masters in various classrooms on the importance of mutual respect, Lekunze née Hannah Enanga Ngumbah says the school administration does its best to treat students with respect so that they know they owe the authorities respect in return. Hence, teachers’ correct students’ mistakes with love rather than label them negatively. Th...