News / Local
Eveline Girls High expels 17 students
20 Nov 2011 at 06:26hrs | Views
EVELINE Girls' High School in Bulawayo has expelled a 17-member gang of students that terrorised juniors, subjecting them to dehumanising acts such as drinking urine and shoving their heads into a toilet basin.
Victims who escaped this phase of abuse were beaten with sjamboks in a nearby park after classes. School authorities moved in to stop the bullies after frightened students wrote anonymous letters. The gang ' which operated under the name NguX Ongasolveki ' comprised 15 Form 2 students and two others in Forms 3 and 4 respectively. The headmistress, Ms Rosemary Moyo, confirmed the students had been "excluded" from the learning institution. She said the school arranged for them to secure places elsewhere. The Ordinary Level student was also allowed to sit public examinations.
"There was a gang that bullied other students at this school. It was made up of 15 Form 2 pupils, one Form 3 pupil and another in Form 4," she said.
"They would force other students to 'bathe' in toilet basins after flushing. We also gathered that some students were forced to drink urine. We, however, never got to know their names.
"We did not expel them, we excluded them. When you expel a child, you do not give them a letter of good standing. We gave them letters that ensure they get learning places elsewhere. We explained that position to their parents."
Ms Moyo said the gang members moved around with different types of clothes in their satchels. They would then sneak out of class and meet up with a similar boys' gang from a nearby school. The headmistress said she became suspicious after finding them in a park. The reign of terror only came to light after she requested other students to send anonymous letters detailing goings-on at the learning institution.
"As I was heading for a funeral on a particular day, I saw some students who were in school uniform. They were in the nearby park. They confessed to sneaking out of school after an official and I accosted them. What we got after the letters were submitted shocked me.
"One of the students was even caught with a sjambok in her satchel by a teacher. She confessed that she used it for beating other students who did not comply with the directives of the gang.
"We then called their parents and a resolution was passed to exclude them from the school."
It is understood the matter was also reported to the police who sent officers in the community relations and liaison department to counsel students at the school. Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo would not be drawn into commenting on the case. "We constantly visit schools to educate children on various issues such as child abuse and bullying. We visited a lot of schools in October and counselled students on various matters," he said
District Education Officer Mr Dan Moyo could not be reached for comment.
Victims who escaped this phase of abuse were beaten with sjamboks in a nearby park after classes. School authorities moved in to stop the bullies after frightened students wrote anonymous letters. The gang ' which operated under the name NguX Ongasolveki ' comprised 15 Form 2 students and two others in Forms 3 and 4 respectively. The headmistress, Ms Rosemary Moyo, confirmed the students had been "excluded" from the learning institution. She said the school arranged for them to secure places elsewhere. The Ordinary Level student was also allowed to sit public examinations.
"There was a gang that bullied other students at this school. It was made up of 15 Form 2 pupils, one Form 3 pupil and another in Form 4," she said.
"They would force other students to 'bathe' in toilet basins after flushing. We also gathered that some students were forced to drink urine. We, however, never got to know their names.
"We did not expel them, we excluded them. When you expel a child, you do not give them a letter of good standing. We gave them letters that ensure they get learning places elsewhere. We explained that position to their parents."
Ms Moyo said the gang members moved around with different types of clothes in their satchels. They would then sneak out of class and meet up with a similar boys' gang from a nearby school. The headmistress said she became suspicious after finding them in a park. The reign of terror only came to light after she requested other students to send anonymous letters detailing goings-on at the learning institution.
"As I was heading for a funeral on a particular day, I saw some students who were in school uniform. They were in the nearby park. They confessed to sneaking out of school after an official and I accosted them. What we got after the letters were submitted shocked me.
"One of the students was even caught with a sjambok in her satchel by a teacher. She confessed that she used it for beating other students who did not comply with the directives of the gang.
"We then called their parents and a resolution was passed to exclude them from the school."
It is understood the matter was also reported to the police who sent officers in the community relations and liaison department to counsel students at the school. Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo would not be drawn into commenting on the case. "We constantly visit schools to educate children on various issues such as child abuse and bullying. We visited a lot of schools in October and counselled students on various matters," he said
District Education Officer Mr Dan Moyo could not be reached for comment.
Source - chronicle
