One young girl was raped by her father every night before coming to school. Her mother had dissapeared, and the father had taken the 10 year old girl into his bed. I heard of young boys lost to lives of gangsterism and cruel initiations in the cape flats. How can a child apply his mind to the ABCs when the screams of the boy he stabbed the day before still echo in his ears? How can a little girl apply her mind to anything when she sits with the physical and emotional pain from the father who is expected to be her protector?

Sometimes teachers are aware and intervene and get to the root of the problem. These children are not rude or loud or disruptive because they are naughty. They disturb others because they are crying out for help. A little girl who never did her homework was not lazy. Her mother sent her to bed very early every night because their home was a popular drinking hole and she wanted the child out of the way There is simply no time or space for homework in this house.

Surely schools should be supported by a sympathetic department when working through these problems? Or atleast encourage students to speak out their issues.