When Students Attack

Saturday - what do I need to do?  Pick up the keys from the school for my evening class (yes, I work evenings) and then head en ville for a teacher training session. Alright, I guess I'll get ready… and so my Saturday begins.

As I approach the school I hear what sounds like a rally in the distance. Hmm, maybe someone is trying to rally up political support. I continue walking. Oh, interesting, it seems to be coming from the school. So I get to the school and lo and behold it is a madhouse. Students were throwing sticks and stones at the school, the head Imam was on a megaphone in the middle of the mob and I could see teachers barricaded in the school. Welcome to Dalaba College? What a sight, what energy. The students were on strike for reasons I shall not disclose and members of the community were trying to reason with the students so they would stop acting like animals. It seemed to be safer to avoid the school, so after taking it in I continued on my way.

That evening a meeting was called. Local authorities, religious leaders and community representatives and college staff gathered in a small, dark room. The Pular translations of the French were longer than the French itself. Everyone gave their accounts of what happened and steps for moving forward were set. The head Imam ended the meeting with a prayer and the 3 hour meeting was over.

If only that was the end of it all. So Monday is a holiday and then Tuesday rolls along. The night before a university student calls to tell me the students are going to strike again, so of course I go to school. All starts well. All the people from the meeting are there for the raising of the school flag and they give a little speech telling the kids actions that have been taken and chastising them for taking to violence. With that the school day commences. The students go to class followed be the teachers.

I get into my class to be greeted by a punch on the arm and a student telling me there will not be class today. Of course I begin laughing at him and the situation. From there utter chaos ensued. Students went rogue. They were like animals, like sheep following their leaders blindly. I gave a couple of speeches trying to reason with the students, but to no avail. They had the control. It was such an interesting experience standing in a school where the students had taken over.

Thankfully, later into Tuesday actions were taken that appeased most of the classes but the tension is still palpable. The kids are being difficult and rowdy in class. Respect has been lost. It is going to be an upward battle from here. My view of my students has changed after seeing what they are capable of. Little monsters! The icing on top of the cake, one of my classes harbors the culprits who rallied the other students to riot… oh bon!