Murderous school discipline

Regarding the article “We spray jealousy like bullets” by Ron Rolheiser OMI (April 8-14), I suggest another dimension to mass murders in schools and colleges.

Today, classrooms are no longer quiet, orderly places where students can get on with their work uninterrupted. As a result of relaxed discipline and restrictions on punitive measures, rebellious and disruptive elements can get away with murder — figuratively. They wear their teachers down, and cause anger and resentment among those students who want to get on with their work.

In addition they probably torment and bully those who want to work (or anyone who is slightly different from the norm) when they get them alone outside.

I experienced such a disruptive element in a class of mine a few years ago, and suggested to the class that it was this sort of behaviour that probably precipitated a mass killing.

The culprits looked very surprised, but there were nods of approval from many of the more law-abiding members of the class, which suggested that if they had had guns, they might have been driven to use them!

Diana Budd, Pinetown