A disgrace to the school, their families, villages and the nation. That is the only way to describe the acts of violence being carried out by school students in public areas.

Over the last fortnight, there have been two or three incidents involving students from the same two schools, St Joseph’s College and Maluafou College. Almost half the nation has seen videos of students invading buses and causing a stir at the Savalalo Bus Terminal.

Now a student is admitted to hospital in serious condition who was beaten up by cowards grouping. The student was allegedly outnumbered and could not defend himself. Understandably, during teenage years, the hormones drive a person ‘crazy’ but not that much that they start believing that violence is the answer.

Did the students of St Joseph’s College think of the outcome of their actions? It does not look like that. The police have charged all students involved and this should go on their records.

The time for leniency is over. If a lesson is to be taught, then the law should be used. The act of sparing the rod has now spoilt a whole bunch of children. The rod here does not mean physical punishment.

One would think that the students of St Joseph’s would learn from the four-year sports ban given to the school after the fights at the Secondary Schools Rugby Championship. Something is wrong here. Either the school administration does not know how to handle its students or this is the lesson they are taught in their homes and villages.

Charity begins at home, so it is easy to assume that it would be the upbringing of these children that has led them to be this way or is it the culture of the school? If this is the legacy left behind by the ex-scholars, then this puts a blemish on the centennial celebration that they have had.

The school has produced stellar individuals who are leaders and pioneers. To think that these are the students of the same school is bewildering. The principal needs to shape up and bring these students to order.

A better option would be to bring back the Marist Brothers to guide the school. They may have been disciplinarians in their approach but they know how to guide the students. This type of behaviour from the students is uncalled for.

The situation has come to a point where the police are now thinking of closing the school if this rowdy behaviour continues. Similar action was taken against Avele College in 2016 for the same reasons.

Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo has issued a stark warning to students of the schools.

"It's disheartening to see these students continue to incite violence, impacting innocent bystanders and their peers."

"Despite our efforts and prior meetings emphasising the importance of maintaining peace, it appears that the schools have not taken adequate action," he noted, expressing disappointment in their lack of response.

"This school consistently seems to be at the heart of these public fights," he remarked, asserting that decisive action is necessary. He is even considering recommending the school's closure if the behaviour does not change.

"We are exploring the option of writing a report and making a recommendation to have the school shut down."

The mindless actions of some students will end up impacting students who were never involved in this matter. The apparent behaviour of the students is also reflective of the culture of violence that persists within the society. This could very well be the product of violence in homes and the students who grew up in such environments believe that violence is the answer.

This is not a small issue and cannot be overlooked. If a stern message is not sent out, we risk such behaviour to be repeated. The law enforcement has to put its foot down and say enough. They should not tolerate any more brawls and fights. The law is there, use it.

Schools are places to learn and the importance of this will only dawn on the students involved in fights once they lose this opportunity.