Newsletter 97.

Reaping what you sow.

There have been a number of news reports recently concerning a school college in Papakura. Apparently there have been a number of violent brawls, sometimes involving about 150 children with a number of parents participating as well.

This is such a contrast to 20 years ago when my son was a pupil at this college. Then, there was little or no trouble involving the students.

What can have happened to cause such a change in the conduct of the students? I am sure other people will come up with a number of suggestions, but I would like to share my thoughts.

There are seven primary schools in the enrolment zone from which this college takes the majority of its students. As recently as ten years ago all schools in this zone had regular "Bible in school" classes, in which the children were taught good Biblical moral values such as respect, honesty, caring, self discipline and tolerance. Gradually, most of there primary schools have stopped their "Bible" classes, so that presently only two still maintain them, and even in these only a few classes are allowed to hold them.

It seems to me that, unfortunately, this Papakura college is now reaping what has been sown (or rather what has not been sown) into the majority of the local children. No, we shouldn’t be thinking of stopping these classes. Rather, we should be thinking of having more of them.

Maurice Sweetsur