Bad influence in Boarding Schools/Facilities

Bad influence in Boarding Schools/Facilities

Chapter 11-an extract from the book Chulu: High School & Tertiary Memoirs.

Motivated to write the article after the family lost a relation at a Boarding School through drowning. I encourage parents to read. I have written another article to explore the beneficial influence of good schools, including influence of mission schools on the learners.

Bad influence in Boarding Schools/Facilities

Parents envy wonderful schools, especially mission schools, and they entrust custody of their dear children in to the hands of the school authorities in boarding. They take comfort in the sustenance of their efforts, believing that their children will maintain their good morals inculcated by their parents. Parents also rely on the good and Christian influence on the morals of their children. “It’s a Christian/mission school.” they take comfort.

However, several parents have vowed never in their lifetime to take their children into boarding school. Haunted by their own experiences in boarding schools, they disdain the thought of their children facing the boarding risks. The tales of mockery, hardship, bad influence and other associated risks cause them to mitigate against these risks by restraining their children from attending boarding school. Others go a mile further to introduce home schooling facilities for full time learning or class revisions to mitigate against evil influence and maximise godly influence.

Looking down on boarding school facilities is a paradox, however. Exposure to the influence of the world never ceases as long as man dwells in this world. We may cage our children from the bad influence of boarding life, but our children still have interactions with the world through the internet, and through day schools’ interactions. Our children walk to the malls, attend weddings and other public events and see the corruptions of the world systems. Later in life, they settle and live independent lives and get exposed to the same risks faced at boarding schools.

Why are there caustic elements among learners in good and Christian boarding schools? The school authorities endeavours to inculcate godly influence through the school curricula and morals. Yet despite the educational good, the godly vision, mission statements and Christian ethical standards, elements of evil still prevail. Romans 3: 10-18 explains the root cause of evil in any society.

“There is none righteous, no, not one.

There is none who understands.

There is none who seeks after God.

They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable;

There is none who does good, no, not one.

Their?throat?is?an open?tomb;

With their tongues they have practiced deceit

The poison of asps?is?under their lips

Whose?mouth?is?full of cursing and bitterness.

Their?feet?are?swift to shed blood;

Destruction and misery?are?in their ways;

And the way of peace they have not known.

There?is no fear of God before their eyes.”

All men born under the sun have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. From the womb, all men error. At birth, even before they learn their preschool lessons, babies exhibit a natural inclination to evil. They screen, make faces and curse without learning the habits of evil even before they attend preschool classes.

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5)

“The wicked are estranged from the womb;

They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

Their poison?is?like the poison of a serpent;

They are?like the deaf cobra?that?stops its ear,

Which will not?heed the voice of charmers,

Charming ever so skillfully.” (Psalm 58: 3-5)

Their human system is diseased by sin because of the fall of man in the garden of Eden. Their entire system is corrupted and cannot please God.

“Then?the?Lord?saw that the wickedness of man?was?great in the earth, and?that?every?intent?of the thoughts of his heart?was?only evil?continually. (Genesis 5:6)

“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then?may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.” (Jeremiah 13:23)

They cannot make steps to please God unless God infuses a new principle of life into them. The learners exhibited this evil in their daily lives at boarding school as well. Unless God does a spiritual transplant of the heart, learners continued to manifest the sinfulness of man and such as these, all of us were.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you?from all your filthiness and from all your idols.?I will give you a?new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.?I will put My?Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do?them.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

Chulu witnessed this evil at boarding school. Evil exists everywhere. The northern side of Lewanika hostel stood a mini mountain named Koka Hill. The summit of this mountain gave a clear view of the school buildings, the school fields called Siberia, and farms and gardens that surrounded the school. On this mountain, legendary stories of extreme mockery occurred. The hill symbolised a dreaded word in the school, Mockery. Grade Eight learners dreaded to enroll at the school in fear of the legendary mockery stories. Legendary tells of taking grade eights on KOKA Hill, put them in a drum, and let the drum roll down. This legendary tale terrified its hearers. Chulu never witnessed such an incident, however.

Some legendary stories proved true, but on a lower scale than the legendary tales. At 4 O’clock in the early hours of the morning, some grade eight learners got pulled outside their dormitories. In their night attire, the grade eight learners rolled on the wet grass at the command of their mockers, soaking their clothes in dew. The chilling winds gave biting pain on the drenched bodies as the mockers gave further orders to roll on the sand. After their release and looking like spooks, the tormented leaners got back into their blankets in their soiled bodies and clothes.

KOKA, a name ascribed to all grade eights. Their mockers, mostly the grade nines siphoned groceries, made KOKAs washing machines and laundry workers, messengers to run errands, and cleaners of dormitories, and ablution blocks. Masked crimes of sodomy tendencies escaped unreported. The unfortunate one became subjects of beatings, unkind treatment and sometimes torture.

Sandwiched between Koka hill and the dormitories stretched a forest. At the edge of the forest, in the dormitory area, stood hidden a hideout place nicknamed the lion’s den. Carefully hidden from view, the den got covered with thickets of thorn bushes and tall grass. This was the headquarters of sniffing drugs and dagga. The narcotic substance came in forms of weeds, cannabis, and marijuana. During break times, lunch breaks, and free times, scores of learners got spotted trooping from the dormitories as they disappeared into the thickets of the den of evil. The substances got eaten, smoked or vaped.

Chulu wondered why the substance attracted several learners despite its harmful effects and risks of expulsion and imprisonment. A chart with some consumers revealed reasons for the pleasure derived by its users. The substance spawns a desire to consume more of it. Out of curiosity and peer pressure, many have discovered they are addicted and cannot easily quit the enslaving habit. Some have hankered for the substance to kill stressful times, in examination periods, competition times, and socialising times. The consumers claimed they gained a certain level of energy and confidence they ordinarily lacked.

These narcotic substances made learners high and active. The forbidden substance earned culprits a heavy punishment and even expulsion from school if discovered. The activity was not only illegitimate on the school premises; it was also a crime against the state and was punishable by imprisonment for both consumers and suppliers. Gardens along the Kafue river appeared innocent with green vegetables which learners bought during weekdays. However, hidden gardens supplied these narcotic substances incognito. To conceal the unpleasant smells of the substance, consumers chewed herbs and onion bulbs to neutralise the potent smells.

Unaware of or not minding the negative effects of the harmful substances, consumers ingest and get subjected to its effects. The substance intrudes on the health of the brain and causes IQ loss never regained, even after stopping its intake. A notable effect on the consumers was the disturbance of mental health. Cases of uncontrolled anxiety, excessive depression, suicide tendencies, and psychotic episodes often got traced from narcotic intakes. A person under the influence of narcotic substances had difficulties in making movements and coordinating the walking, running and something sitting. The person became an illusion, and the sight got blurred and impaired. Such behaviours affected the consumer. The effects became eminent during walking, running and failure to respond to simple school rules and regulations. Despite the risks posed on the immune, respiratory, blood circulation, central nervous and digestive systems, consumers proceeded with the enslaving habit.

However, under the influence of such activities, inappropriate behaviours resulted from consumers. Hipper activities, extra energy, and hallucinations resulted as products of the forbidden activities drove its consumers into inappropriate behaviour and habits. The bad boys often acted under the influence of such harmful substances; vulgar language and insults often issued from consumers. Unable to control their temperaments, consumers often locked horns with others in quarrels, bitter exchange of words, curses and sometimes in actual fights.

Prefects often lashed their whip of discipline on boys who found difficulties in following simple instructions or orders. Teachers also often locked horns with learners who found it difficult to coordinate their learning because of the bad influence of the substances. Late coming, dossing in class, unable to concentrate, absconding from lawful class activities, and going out of the school premises without permission characterised consumers of the drugs. These learners exhibited inappropriate behaviour and had a bad influence on the innocent.

Close to Lewanika hostels stood stretched the cooks compound. The cooks dwelt in the nicely built, red brick small houses with their spouses, children, and dependents. These families provided the chefs for the school, as well as flitters from the wives of the cooks. Badly influenced learners, however, abandoned their learning objectives to begin social relationships with females in the school compound. These illicit relationships spread further from the cocks’ compounds into neighbouring villages and compounds. Badly influenced boys, on arrival from their weekend breaks, came and told stories about the parties, the socialising and the sinful acts just performed. Chulu wondered how sinful acts made headlines without shame. The innocent sat and listened to filthy stories told without shame. These were opportunities for Scripture union members to preach Christ.

Riotous behaviour instigated by bad influencers in the school occasionally erupted. Confusion covered the school premises as rules got overridden. War songs escaped the mouths of ring leaders as they ran from place to place, carrying with them several blind followers. As instruments of destruction, the mob descended on the eastern and western wings of the dining hall. In both hands, the mob carried heavy stones and hauled them on the glass pens. Sounds of shattering glasses sent destructive sounds a respectful distance away. The riotous behaviour continued unabated as teachers, prefects, house captains, and head boy distanced themselves and hid for fear of molestation. In no time, the dining hall got shattered, cooks ran for their lives and heaps of stones piled on the wooden tables and on the floor. The damage had been done, and no meals became served to the learners. Everyone waited for the next move; the police force from Kafue Police Station were on the way.

Carefully deployed, the school premises got engulfed as brown uniformed armed officers descended on the mob. Some officers carried buttons while holding a shield in the other hand. Other officers had guns and shelled teargas, while others unleashed whips on the defenceless learners. Gun shells pierced through the windows, forcing those in hideouts to come out and join the hopeless learners now under corporal punishment. Enormous trucks drove on the school premises and learners forcefully climbed into the high trucks and headed to the Kafue Police Station.

The school premises were now deserted, as learners on foot scampered into the bush and headed to Kafue town for safety. Kafue town soon littered with learners from Kafue Boys Secondary School. Learners loitered around the grounds while others went to peep at the Police station to assess the plight of those under hostage. For the first time, Chulu walked on foot to Kafue town. With a few of his friends, the boy lamented at the capture of some of the Scripture Union members caught up in the unfortunate fracas. The release of the captured boys from the police custody signaled the return of peace and the retreat to the school. However, a few of the identified ringleaders had to face the wrath of the school administration.

Social events brought about a bonding of schools. Such events also brought a socialising of boys at the school and girls from other sister schools. Exchange of interschool programs formally brought various schools together through exchange programs. Such programmes included interschool sporting events. Aside from the enjoyment of participating in games or watching various sporting competitions, learners enjoyed mutual friendships. Unlike the pen pal letter writing, where the correspondents hardly knew each other, these social events provided physical meetings. Learners talked and made friendship and with merged old ties. Badly influenced learners and elements, however, took advantage of such social events to propagate illicit relationships and bad influence. Not a few got side tracked and bad results later surfaced when individuals got summoned to own up for making someone’s daughter pregnant.

End of year parties also attracted interschool interactions. Being a boys’ school, sister schools got invited to hold such parties jointly for school leavers. Chipembi Girls and Njase Girls Secondary School where choice schools as they too where United Church of Zambia mission Schools. An event cherished by most school leavers made school leavers look forward to the evening event of interaction between the outgoing boys and girls. The beautifully decorated school hall housed these learners once a year as school leavers bade farewell to their schools and looked forward to the working world and tertiary education.

Outgoing learners put on their best dress and attire as those on a social date with their lovers; the best attire, best perfumes and the best posture and smiles. As the school hall flashed with psychedelic lights, learners enjoyed their party akin to a picture of the garden of Eden. Farewell speeches from the head boy and the head girl issued amid a dead silence as each one handpicked their vocabulary. As bombastic word escaped the lips of speakers, a loud applaud greeted the unleashed rich and carefully chosen words, proverbs, and languages of speech. The rich speeches symbolise educational excellences gained during their learning.?

Folks and knives glittered would have glittered and their rays reflected had it been in a hotel. However, plates made of paper served the purpose as psychedelic lights flashed as the school leavers munched their last meal together. Outgoing learners crunched their delicacies, a goodwill symbol of great educational achievements and posture. For four years, Chulu, not part of the celebrating party, watched the proceedings of the parties from the window terraces. Envying the enjoyment, the dancing, the eating, and the joys on the school leavers, Chulu craved for his turn. He watched the speeches too and the dancing. Opening the floor time through dance brought a conflict to the mind of Chulu. He watched the head boys and head girls open the floors in dances. Chulu wrestled with the idea of Christians dancing to worldly music, especially illicit songs that provoked emotions to vent. Chulu particularly watched the behaviours of Christians, especially scripture union leaders, as they responded to sensual music and their attitude and restraints on the paired girls.

Unbelievers looked forward to the dancing flow after the opening of the floor. Outgoing boys’ learners rose to the challenge and pair up with their counterpart girls to dance to the intestinally and carefully selected slow music suited for ball dance. In the arms of the girls, the boys prolonged their lustful dances. As lovers do, they looked in the eyes of their beholders, their arms shifting from the shoulders to the waist and the arms rested on the humps. They feasted on their lustful thoughts and behaviours. For most, this last dance signified the achievement of the objectives of the school leavers party. For some, their badly influenced intentions led them to episodes and occasions of sin. With his newfound faith, the school leavers parties brought more questions than answers to Chulu. He wondered about the basis of a Christian dancing to worldly music. He also questioned the legitimacy of dancing in a compromising way with the opposite sex, where restraint to touch and indulge got removed. Chulu was happy that their school leavers’ party never materialised.

“Do not be deceived:?“Evil company corrupts good habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

“Do not be deceived. God is not mocked; for?whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.?For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap?everlasting life.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

Bad influences ought to be spotted in boarding schools and outside boarding facilities and the wise ought to keep a suitable distance and avoid trouble. Psalm 1 warns us. In every society, there will be bad influencers who captivate the innocent and recruit them for mischief. Influence includes walking in the footsteps of the ungodly, which are simply following what evil doors are doing. To be influenced also includes standing in the paths of sinners, to approve their evil ideologies. Influence could also be to sit in the seat of the scornful and become an active advocate of evil and recruit new members to the evil club.

Acts 19 carried an example of a riot in the bible at Ephesus. One man acted as a ringleader. He recruited a few of the other disgruntled artisans and stirred a mob and a revolt. His business interests got threatened, and he used his negative influence to fan a revolt.

“Some, therefore, cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.”?(Acts 19:32)

Society has such people who mobilise evil and sometimes get away with their actions while those who follow blindly get the lash.