Kwenzekani Ezikoleni Namuhla?
ISIHLOKO esikhulu esithi “Izikole Zethu Zisenkingeni: Bizani Amaphoyisa Manje” savela ekhasini lokuqala ephephandabeni lamuva nje laseNew York City. I-New York City Board of Education inonogada bayo siqu besikole—ibutho labangu-3 200—abagada izikole zasedolobheni ezingaphezu kuka-1 000. Manje abaningi sebefuna ukuba kubizwe amaphoyisa avamile asedolobheni azosiza ngokugcina ukulondeka kulezi zikole. Ingabe ayadingeka ngempela?
Isihloko esikhulu se-New York Times sathi: “Umbiko Ubonisa Ukuthi Abafundi Abangamaphesenti Angu-20 BaseNew York City Baphatha Izikhali.” Umphathi wezikole zaseNew York City kusukela ngo-1990 kuya ku-1992, uJoseph Fernandez, wavuma: “Angikaze ngibubone ubudlova obunjengobudlova esinabo ezikoleni zethu ezinkulu zasedolobheni. . . . Angizange ngicabange lapho ngivuma ukuba ishansela laseNew York ngo-1990 ukuthi kwakuzoba kubi kangaka. Akusona nje isimo esivamile, inhlekelele.”
Kubi Kangakanani?
UFernandez wabika: “Phakathi nezinyanga zokuqala eziyishumi ngiyishansela, ngokwesilinganiso kwakunengane eyodwa yesikole ebulawayo njalo ngemva kosuku—ngokugwazwa emzileni ongaphansi komhlaba, ngokudutshulwa emagcekeni esikole noma emakhoneni omgwaqo . . . Ezinye izikole eziphakeme [zinonogada] abayishumi nanhlanu noma abayishumi nesithupha abagada emaphasishini nasemagcekeni.” Wanezela: “Ubudlova budlangile ezikoleni zethu, futhi kuye kwadingeka ukuba kuthathwe izinyathelo eziqinile. Izikole zaseChicago, eLos Angeles, eDetroit—kuwo wonke amadolobha amakhulu—manje ziyizindawo ezinobudlova obesabekayo.
“Ihlazo lalokhu lisobala ngendlela engavamile. Kuleminyaka engamashumi amabili edlule siye samukela okungamukeleki: Izikole zaseMelika ziyizinkundla zempi. Izizinda zokwesaba nokwesatshiswa kunokuba zibe izikhungo zokukhanyiselwa.”
Kunonogada ezimisweni zezikole ezingu-245 e-United States, futhi kwezingu-102 zalezi, onogada bahlomile. Kodwa akubona bodwa abahlomile. Ngokokuhlola okuthile kwase-University of Michigan, kulinganiselwa ukuthi abafundi base-United States baphatha izibhamu ezingaba ngu-270 000, uma zingabalwa ezinye izikhali, esikoleni nsuku zonke!
Kunokuba sibe ngcono, lesi simo siye saba sibi kakhulu. Imishini yokuthungatha izinto eziyinsimbi esetshenziswa ezikoleni eziningi iye yahluleka ukunqanda ukungena kwezikhali. Phakathi nentwasahlobo ka-1994, izehlakalo zobudlova ezabikwa ezikoleni zaseNew York City zenyuka ngamaphesenti angu-28 uma kuqhathaniswa nenkathi efanayo ngonyaka owandulela! “Ngokokuqala ngqá,” kuchaza i-Phi Delta Kappan ngenhlolo-vo eyenziwa e-United States, “isigaba ‘sokulwa, ubudlova, namaqembu’ sihamba phambili ‘nokuntuleka kwesiyalo’ njengenkinga enkulu kunazo zonke izikole zendawo zomphakathi ezibhekene nayo.”
Ubudlova basezikoleni buye babangela inkinga ezikoleni zasemazweni amaningi. ECanada, i-Globe and Mail yaseToronto yayinesihloko esikhulu esithi: “Izikole Ziphenduka Izinkundla Eziyingozi.” Futhi ukuhlola okwenziwa eMelbourne, e-Australia, kwembula ukuthi izingane zesikole esiphansi ezingaba amaphesenti angu-60 ziyiswa futhi zilandwe esikoleni abazali ngenxa yokwesaba ukuhlaselwa noma ukuthunjwa.
Nokho, ubudlova buyingxenye nje yalenkinga. Kunezinye izinto ezenzekayo ezikoleni zethu ezibangela ukukhathazeka okukhulu.
Indaba Yokuziphatha
Nakuba iBhayibheli lithi ubufebe—ukuba nobuhlobo bobulili ngaphandle komshado—abulungile, izikole namuhla aziyisekeli lemfundiso yokuziphatha enengqondo. (Efesu 5:5; 1 Thesalonika 4:3-5; IsAmbulo 22:15) Ngokuqinisekile lokhu kuye kwaholela esimweni uFernandez asichaza lapho ethi: “Intsha yethu engafinyelela kumaphesenti angu-80 ihlanganyela ubulili njalo.” Esikoleni esithile esiphakeme eChicago, ingxenye yesithathu yabafundi besifazane yayikhulelwe!
Ezinye izikole zinezinkulisa ezinakekela abantwana babafundi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kukhishwa ama-condom njalo ngomzamo oyize wokunqanda umqedazwe wengculaza nenani lamavezandlebe elanda ngokuphawulekayo. Uma ukusakazwa kwama-condom kungabakhuthazi ngempela abafundi ukuba bafebe, kuyakuvumela ukwenza kwabo kanjalo. Lapho kuziwa ekuziphatheni, yini abafundi okufanele bayicabange?
Uthisha othile waseyunivesithi ongumakad’ ebona wathi kukhona “inani elimangalisayo lentsha ecabanga ukuthi akukho okulungile noma okungalungile, ukuthi ukukhetha endabeni yokuziphatha kuxhomeke endleleni ozizwa ngayo.” Kungani intsha icabanga ngalendlela? Lothisha waphawula: “Mhlawumbe okuhlangenwe nakho kwasesikoleni esiphakeme okwayiholela ekubeni ingazinaki izindinganiso zokuziphatha.” Uyini umphumela wokungaqiniseki kokuziphatha okunjalo?
Ingosi yomhleli wephephandaba muva nje yakhononda: “Ngezinye izikhathi kubonakala sengathi akekho ofuna ukusolwa nganoma yini. Nakancane.” Yebo, isigijimi siwukuthi konke kuvumelekile! Cabangela isibonelo somphumela onamandla lokhu okungaba nawo kubafundi. Ekilasini laseyunivesithi elalixoxa ngeMpi Yezwe II nokubusa kobuNazi, uprofesa othile wathola ukuthi iningi labafundi bakhe lalicabanga ukuthi akekho okwakufanele athweswe icala ngokuQothulwa Kwesizwe! Lothisha wathi: “Ezingqondweni zabafundi, ukuQothulwa Kwesizwe kwakunjengenhlekelele engokwemvelo: Kwakungenakugwenywa.”
Icala likabani lapho abafundi bengakwazi ukuhlukanisa okulungile nokungalungile?
Ezikhathini Ezibucayi
Evikela izikole, othile owayenguthisha wathi: “Inkinga iqala emphakathini, futhi izikole ziveza nje izinkinga esezikhona kakade lapho.” Ngempela, kunzima ukukufundisa ngokuphumelelayo lokho abaholi bomphakathi abahlulekayo ukukwenza.
Eveza lokhu, phakathi nesikhathi lapho ukuziphatha okubi kwezikhulu zikahulumeni wase-United States kuyindaba egudwini, umlobeli wephephandaba owaziwayo wabhala: “Angiqondi ukuthi othisha kulenkathi yokungathembeki bangakufundisa kanjani ukuziphatha. . . . Abafundi abasebancane bakhononda ngokuthi, ‘Buka okwenzeka eWashington!’ Bayazi . . . ukuthi ukukhohlakala okukhulu kunakho konke emlandweni bekulokhu kwenziwa ngaphansi kophahla lwaleyondlu enkulu emhlophe.”
IBhayibheli labikezela ukuthi “ezinsukwini zokugcina kuyofika izikhathi ezibucayi okunzima ukubhekana nazo.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5) Ngokuqinisekile lezi izikhathi ezibucayi! Uma kucatshangelwa lokhu, yini eyenziwayo ukuze kubhekwane nezinkinga ezikoleni namuhla futhi kusizwe abafundi ukuba bathole imfundo enhle? Yini eningayenza nina njengabazali kanye nabafundi? Izihloko ezilandelayo zizokudingida lokhu.