Back-to-School - Five: In the Beehive

Back-to-School - Five

Back in the Beehive

The Grade 8s re-joined the School this Week...

It never fails to amaze me, how the Kids use any ol' excuse in the change of environment as an opportunity to disrupt the normal flow of the School Day. This past Week, we had fights break out between the different 'factions' (Grade 8, 9 and even the more Senior Grades)... Supposedly, on account of 'turf' and other silliness - like the Cat-fight between two Grade 11 Girls, because of a 'vuil kyk'... When you hear their Stories and Priors though, one realises that these little kittens are not to be handled without gloves... Learners as young as 14 years old, with actual criminal records that include robbery, violent assault and cases of rape! The Cops had to stop by the School this Week, on account of a learner ignoring his interdict and arriving at School with a Fire-arm - scolding and threatening a Teacher, to allow him to see his 'girlfriend' who got the restraining order against him and his gang in the first place...

After also receiving threats of having my tyres slashed, when I reprimanded a group of youths for smoking marijuana on the School-grounds, I have decided to take a step back and get my hands out of the 'boiling cauldron'. The Permanent Teachers say, that unless we get more Involvement from the Parents, there isn't much we can actually do. We write up our observations and can mostly keep a Record of it...

The Week played out as per normal, with the usual suspects adding a little Spice to my dull and dreariest days. However, I did get the opportunity to 'volunteer' to join the Matriculants on their Educational Excursion this past weekend. The Learners were very excited about this 'Camp' of theirs... I could not help but feel a shiver of trepidation run down my Spine as we boarded the Bus on Friday- afternoon...

I had hopes and dreams of never becoming THAT Old Man, who plays Outwit - Outplay - Outlast with the youngsters... I have failed, I am that Guy... Even after checking their luggage before we departed from School. I still had issues with Contraband being smuggled into their Accommodation for the Weekend. While, the Learners were being checked in and had their Welcoming Ceremony, I was sent back to School for First Aid Kits and Toilet paper. Lesson learned - Never take your own vehicle to official events, unless you don't mind being the unofficial Taxi and Pick-up and Delivery Vehicle for all sorts of odds-n-ends (no Petrol-refund, as Students are not officially on the books as Gov. Employees) and can afford the Scratches and Bumps of Parking your Car overnight on a Campus Parking-lot. I digress...

Upon my return to Campus, the Rooms have already been turned into Hot-boxes and a very jovial atmosphere hung about the dorm - much like the cloud of smoke I walked into... This was to be the setting for a very long night of Cat-n-Mouse... 4 Junior Teachers/Students to supervise almost 200 Senior Learners. Not a single wink of sleep was to be had that night. Safety Laws (and The Law) prevent us from knocking out, our dear learners and locking them up for the Night (for their Safety, and my own peace of mind)... At 4am in the morning, I was still on Patrol - trying to hush down the Music, the Gigglers, the Streakers, the 'brave ones' trying to break out of the Boys' Dorms to go visit their Girls - "Ek issie gewoond aan alleen slaap'ie, Meneer!"??? And yet... I still had to get them up at 6am to be Fresh and Dressed for the long day, that lay ahead.

Those were the Days... When one could carry on all night, and still be able to function the following day... Oh, to be young again... Tee hee hee!!!

After breakfast and our morning meeting, I was fortunate enough to leave that hot mess behind to take the Rugby Boys off Campus for their Game against Settlers HS.

They won their Game, 36 - 19 (with very little Sleep), and still had the audacity to remind me that I 'owe' them each a R50, because I didn't have faith they could perform after the madness of the night before... This is an all too common theme - the Expectation and sometimes even Demand for a Reward, for doing something that is actually their 'duty' and only of benefit to themselves and their own futures...

"Meneer, wat gaan Meneer vir my gee as ek my boek uit haal?" - Story of my Life...

I have never believed in bribing anybody, child or adult, into doing anything at all!

From my observations and talks with the Learners, I can see how an integral part of their existence this is though - instant gratification. Promises of future gain and benefits do not mean much to them... They have been lied to so many times (mostly by grown-ups in whom they placed their trust), that sweet talk and promises have zero value to them. Seeing is believing... And what they see... Is not always so sweet... But, that is a Tale for another rainy day...

On that Note, I am now going to try and catch up on lost sleep...