OPINION - It was with great concern and shock that I read of pupils disrupting classes at a school on the South Coast, demanding a smoke break.
This new controversy in education has sent shockwaves through all parents.
It is obvious that school leaders and governing bodies have lost control, as a result of which schools are turning into unruly institutions that are being held hostage by misguided children. Allowing smoke breaks will be a crime, since the legal age for smoking is 18 years.
How are governing bodies going to regulate this? Where to from here? Have we passed the precipice of no-return with our children?
It is time for parents to take responsibility and play a greater role in raising their children to be upstanding individuals rather than delinquents. It must also be remembered that pupils react to challenges in accordance with what they are exposed to in their immediate family environment.
It is ridiculous that these social evils are having to be debated, and it appears we have lost all common sense as to what is right and wrong.
Schools should be the breathing grounds that nurture the development of learning in children.
My appeal to all teachers is to stop compromising our value systems, stand tall, and make decisions in favour of what’s right, without fear.
Dhayalan Moodley Mobeni Heights