News / Local
Top school suspends 16 'drunk' pupils
11 Sep 2014 at 01:13hrs | Views
SIXTEEN boozy pupils were booted out of the Anglican Church-run St Columba's High School in Bulawayo on the opening day of the third term.
School officials yesterday would not provide the sexes of the 16, but the affected pupils were between Forms 4 to 6. An A' Level student brought bottles of cheap whisky which the pupils shared on Tuesday, an insider said.
"After bringing the whisky, the boy called his friends and they started drinking it mixing with soft drinks they had brought from home. Some later bought more dilution from the tuck shop," the source said.
The official said they suspect some of the pupils were drinking alcohol for the first time because their behaviour afterwards sold them out.
"I'm told one or two started behaving wildly and that led to teachers becoming suspicious. As a result, it was established that there were 16 pupils that had taken alcohol at the school during school hours."
The source said the pupils were suspended and asked to bring their parents or guardians to a disciplinary hearing.
The hearings have been shelved until the Headmistress returns later during the week.
Deputy headmaster, Father Day, said: "Please you've to speak to the head over that matter.
She's the one who's authorised to comment. Unfortunately, she has gone for a funeral and will be back later this week."
School officials said pupils are routinely searched every morning when they arrive at the school – one of Bulawayo's most coveted learning institutions.
Despite the checks, officials say it is not possible for the security guards to check every bag.
"They're just too many. So it's possible that alcohol can be smuggled in and out of the school premises," said a teacher.
Our news crew was blocked from entering the school yesterday.
In the ZIMSEC A' Level results for 2013, St Columba's was Bulawayo's joint seventh best school with a pass rate of 92.5 percent. The school was second best in Bulawayo Province behind John Tallach in the O' Level examinations with an 81 percent pass rate, and was 33rd overall nationally.
In February, 21 pupils from Tennyson Hlabangana High School in Hope Fountain were sent home for allegedly smoking cannabis (mbanje).
In another incident last year, parents at David Livingstone Secondary School in Ntabazinduna were called to the institution to administer corporal punishment on their children who were caught smoking cannabis.
School officials yesterday would not provide the sexes of the 16, but the affected pupils were between Forms 4 to 6. An A' Level student brought bottles of cheap whisky which the pupils shared on Tuesday, an insider said.
"After bringing the whisky, the boy called his friends and they started drinking it mixing with soft drinks they had brought from home. Some later bought more dilution from the tuck shop," the source said.
The official said they suspect some of the pupils were drinking alcohol for the first time because their behaviour afterwards sold them out.
"I'm told one or two started behaving wildly and that led to teachers becoming suspicious. As a result, it was established that there were 16 pupils that had taken alcohol at the school during school hours."
The source said the pupils were suspended and asked to bring their parents or guardians to a disciplinary hearing.
The hearings have been shelved until the Headmistress returns later during the week.
Deputy headmaster, Father Day, said: "Please you've to speak to the head over that matter.
School officials said pupils are routinely searched every morning when they arrive at the school – one of Bulawayo's most coveted learning institutions.
Despite the checks, officials say it is not possible for the security guards to check every bag.
"They're just too many. So it's possible that alcohol can be smuggled in and out of the school premises," said a teacher.
Our news crew was blocked from entering the school yesterday.
In the ZIMSEC A' Level results for 2013, St Columba's was Bulawayo's joint seventh best school with a pass rate of 92.5 percent. The school was second best in Bulawayo Province behind John Tallach in the O' Level examinations with an 81 percent pass rate, and was 33rd overall nationally.
In February, 21 pupils from Tennyson Hlabangana High School in Hope Fountain were sent home for allegedly smoking cannabis (mbanje).
In another incident last year, parents at David Livingstone Secondary School in Ntabazinduna were called to the institution to administer corporal punishment on their children who were caught smoking cannabis.
Source - chronicle
