In the wake of the fatal stabbing of a Form Four student at Founders High School in Bulawayo, education authorities are considering transforming single-sex schools into mixed institutions.
The move is intended to address gang-related violence and drug abuse in schools, which has been on the rise in recent years. The Founders High School student, Wayne Ndlovu (16), tragically passed away after being struck with a three-star okapi knife by a 17-year-old pupil from Hamilton High School in a suspected schools' related turf war.
At a recent stakeholder meeting held by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, school heads, senior teachers, parents, police, civil society organizations and pupils discussed the issue and raised concerns about the disintegration of family and societal values at single-sex institutions.
During the meeting, it was revealed that pupils from gender-isolated schools were fighting over relationships, with boys from one school ordered not to visit certain areas of the city, which were claimed by students from another school.
The history behind the construction of these schools was also cited as a contributing factor to the violence between pupils from these institutions.
Bulawayo Provincial Education director, Bernard Mazambane said boys from schools such as Milton High School were entitled to girls from Eveline High School due to the history associated with the institutions as they were named after a couple: Sir William Milton and his wife Eveline Milton.
As a result, transforming these schools into mixed ones was suggested vas the best way forward. However, consultations will be undertaken before any decision is adopted, and the implementation process will be gradual, starting with lower classes if boys are introduced in a girls' school, and starting with bigger girls who are able to say no when approached if girls are introduced in a boys' school.
The proposal has since been met with mixed reactions as one camp argued that the move is unlikely to be a panacea for these problems. Rather, a more holistic approach that addresses the root causes of these issues should be employed.
"I don't think it will change anything because the culture of violence in these schools is beyond gender. The rivalry between Hamilton and Founders, for example, involves mixed schools, which defeats the point of phasing out single sex schools. What we need to address is the culture of violence in our society which is now manifesting in schools," former Hamilton High School student - formerly a boys-only school - Prince Nduna said.
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On the other hand, proponents of mixed schools argue that they create a more inclusive environment where students can learn to work and socialize with people from different backgrounds and genders.
They also argue that mixed schools offer a more balanced education, as students are exposed to a wider range of perspectives and experiences.
"Mixed schools breed confidence and nurture people for critical after-school skills, I believe people who attended school at boys schools have challenges intergrating ito the society," said Christopher Chemhere.
