Times Of Swaziland: KNIFE-WIELDING PUPIL  STORMS EXAM ROOM

KNIFE-WIELDING PUPIL  STORMS EXAM ROOM
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 BY KHULEKANI NENE on 09/11/2018 01:39:00


SITEKI – Examinations were disrupted at Bekezela Primary School yesterday when
a Grade VII pupil went berserk and attacked his fellow schoolmates and teachers
with a knife.
Fortunately, nobody was injured as both the pupils and teachers reportedly fled
and took refuge in nearby residences and shops.
This was the second time in a space of three days that the Grade VII pupil had
attacked his schoolmates and teachers in the same fashion, the school’s
administration said.
On Monday, the pupil was writing his first paper when suddenly; he went berserk
and attacked his fellow schoolmates with a knife.
He had been writing on his own following a decision by the school’s
administration to separate him from the rest of the Grade VII pupils.
Windows
The decision to isolate him was taken following an earlier incident where he
broke several windows at the school in a fit of rage, the school’s
administration said.
During the Monday incident, the pupil reportedly left his ‘solitary exam
room’ and went straight to the home economics class to fetch a knife. He then
stormed the examination room in an attempt to attack his schoolmates who were
writing their Mathematics paper, witnesses said.
Terrified pupils reportedly abandoned their examination papers and bolted out of
the examination room, some through the windows.
Some pupils reportedly got injured as they fled from the raging pupil, who was
armed with the knife.
“One pupil hurt himself during the skirmish. But fortunately, all the pupils
managed to flee and hid at a nearby clinic,” said Head teacher Lucky Mdluli.
According to Mdluli, terrified teachers also fled to their houses as the
knife-wielding pupil confronted everyone he came across within the school
premises.
“I also hid inside my office as I feared for my life. I later ran to my
house,” added Mdluli.
During the rage, the pupil hit the door to the exam room with stones and further
gouged it with the knife he was carrying.
The pupil was eventually restrained by community members and his relative, said
Mdluli.
Yesterday, the pupil had not reported to school after he was barred by the
school’s administration from setting foot within the school premises. However,
he defied the ban and stormed the school at around 11am yesterday.
According to the school’s administration, the Grade VIIs had already finished
their morning paper and were now preparing for the afternoon paper when the
knife-wielding pupil stormed the school again.
Again, pupils and teachers managed to flee and outran him, said a witness. Just
like they did in the previous incident, the pupils took refuge at the nearby
shop and clinic.