The Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has backed the exclusion of a Grade 7 pupil from Robert Tredgold Primary School in Bulawayo over repeated serious misconduct.
PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou told CITE the pupil was excluded, not expelled, stressing that the move allows the learner to continue their education elsewhere while protecting the learning environment for other pupils. Said Zhou:
There’s a difference between expulsion and exclusion. Exclusion means the student can still be recommended for admission at another school. It’s a disciplinary measure to show that misbehaviour, such as insulting teachers, has consequences.
Schools must maintain order and discipline. Exclusion serves as a deterrent and can prompt behavioural change not just for the individual pupil but for others who observe the consequences of misconduct.
Many pupils behave this way due to peer influence. Once removed from their social group and placed in a new environment, they often reassess their behaviour.
Zhou called for the urgent deployment of psychological services in schools, saying many institutions across Zimbabwe lack the support systems needed to manage behavioural issues effectively.
Zhou said that while psychologists are meant to assist students, most are based at district or provincial offices, far from where they’re needed most.
His remarks follow the exclusion of a Grade 7 pupil from Robert Tredgold Primary School in Bulawayo after a disciplinary committee found the 13-year-old guilty of four serious charges.
The incidents involving the Grade 7 pupil from Robert Tredgold Primary School occurred in February and March 2025.
They included verbally abusing a teacher, assaulting fellow pupils, and using vulgar and highly offensive language, reportedly telling a classmate that their parents “drink tea inside a condom.”
One classmate sustained injuries from a physical assault, while a teacher was directly targeted with insults.
More: CITE
Back to top