The Tunisian media recently reported that, after the bad news of the stabbing of a teacher in a classroom in the city of Bardo and other terrible stories that happened during the last decade, three students were arrested on suspicion of setting fire to the director’s office of their school in the city of Monastir. Such bad news occur from time to time and make us sad and worried because violence seems to be increasing.
Despite the lack of data on this phenomenon, the picture of this complex problem is frightening. We believe that violence around schools is alarming. It is a source of insecurity and tension in the school environment.
Unfortunately, concern about the high prevalence of violence in and around educational institutions has increased recently. Extreme forms of violence have been witnessed. It is a bitter and painful truth that violence is portrayed in many Tunisian media.
The spread of violence is not just an act that we can do without concern. The scale and cruelty of violence in and out of schools can, in some cases, have an impact on children who witness or experience violence in schools and on their parents, and it can jeopardise educational values and create fear around the various educational institutions.
We are frustrated and disappointed that we have been unable to address this sensitive and serious problem, which has significant negative consequences.
There is an urgent need to improve school safety through appropriate policies and approaches and concerted measures.
In order to achieve our collective goals of accelerating progress in education, all stakeholders should take all necessary measures to put an end to these stories of violence and criminality perpetrated by underage students.
TunisianMonitorOnline (Ben Rhouma Chedly)
