'School rage' boils over onto all of us

Given the violent and criminal nature of South Africa as a whole, it probably doesn't come as a surprise to anyone that "school rage" has reached epidemic proportions in our educational system.

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Pupils are attacking each other with fists, knives and occasionally guns, resulting not only in hospitalisations but, in some cases, in deaths.

Teachers, too, are not safe in their classrooms, becoming frequent targets for those they are supposed to be teaching.

In one frightening incident this week, a school principal was stabbed in the hand when she tried to stop a brawl between pupils from rival schools.