House Chair, we appreciate the topic by hon Rev Meshoe on combating increasing levels of violence, drugs and sexual abuse in schools. We would have loved to hear members focussing mostly on the combating part of it because we know the issues and we know the challenges - if maybe all could have focussed on the combating. I really appreciate hon Sharif who focussed on it, but she was only one-sided on mental health. We really appreciate and welcome the inputs that she made.
Hon Chair, regarding the issues of violence, drugs and sexual abuse we can make political grandstanding and try to be smart but these issues are caring the future of this country. When we speak about the education of our children we are speaking about the future of this country because we expect all our children to be responsible adults. Sometimes they copy from us what we are doing in this House. They think this is what is suppose to be happening. They think what we are doing as Members of Parliament in Parliament is what they are suppose to be doing even in schools. Some of the behaviour of members, the way we act when we want to put a point forward, instead of talking, instead of waiting for your time to speak, you start
fighting, you start swearing and you start doing all these things that are not good for raising our children. We are adults and it is our responsibility for all of us to raise our children.
Chair, with regard to the moral decay we cannot run away from that. We are expected to make sure that we work with moral regeneration movements in all the provinces to bring back morality in the society - values in the society unlike what is happening. We can refuse it.
The Reverent has indicated that school violence does not mirror what happens in the communities. I turn not to agree with the Reverent although I am not allowed to do that. A school is a microcosm of the society. What happens in the community will reflect and manifest at school. If a child is raised by a single parent - especially if it is a mother - alone without a father or if the child comes from an abusive family where the family abuses the mother, the child will take those tendencies to school and abuse other children. So let's get our things right in the societies. And let's not play a blaming game. Let's work together to make sure that we bring back the societal values of where we come from.
Hon Chair, yes, moral regeneration. The future of our children has nothing to do with politics and I have statistics.
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