Moroke Sekoboto 

IN a determined effort to eradicate the mistreatment of new students at the tertiary level, the Ministry of Education and Training has launched an anti-bullying campaign.  

Speaking at the launch this week at Catholic Comprehensive Community College (CCCC) in Leribe, the Minister of Education and Training, Professor Ntoi Rapapa, condemned bullying, particularly in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools. 

This practice of treating newcomers has often led to unwarranted deaths of those being treated as some would not stomach the punishments they would be subjected to.  

Prof Rapapa described bullying as a significant factor contributing to the decline in student performance and the rise in absenteeism due to fear. He said his ministry was actively addressing the issue, including tackling the use of drugs and alcohol, which he said were major contributors to bullying. 

“Bullying is on the rise, leading to students being afraid to attend school and causing their academic performance to suffer. We are working hard to eradicate the abuse of drugs, which is a major driver of bullying. We will introduce emergency drug testing in high schools to combat this problem,” Prof Rapapa said. 

He also appealed to teachers to educate students without discrimination and to collaborate with security agencies to protect students’ well-being.  

“Students should not engage in relationships with older individuals, as this can compromise their decision-making,” he added. 

The CCCC Principal, Thetsane Moholi, condemned the mistreatment of new students, comparing the bullying problem in TVET schools to the violent killings that are spiralling out of control and which the government is striving to combat. 

“Students must immediately stop bullying each other and instead support and protect one another. This issue has persisted for decades, and it is high time to root it out. We call on parents, students, and everyone involved to work together to ensure that bullying becomes a thing of the past,” Mr Moholi said. 

Speaking on behalf of the national security agencies, police Superintendent Thabo Thamae, who is also an alumnus of CCCC (then Technical School of Leribe), reaffirmed the police’s commitment to eliminating bullying.  

“We appeal to teachers to inform us if this unruly behaviour persists so that we can intervene and address the matter,” Supt Thamae said.