Parktown Boy's High jinx

http://www.moneyweb.co.za/mw/view/mw/en/page276670?oid=296811&sn=Detail

Moneyweb - Out to lunch by David Bullard, 11 June 2009 02:07

Life must be tough for Pene Kimber, courageous mother who blew the whistle on her son's brutal initiation ceremony at Parktown Boy's High. Life is probably even tougher for her son who probably wishes he could change his surname and re-emerge somewhere with a new identity.

Mrs Kimber has had to endure insults from other school parents, hostile letters to the newspapers and a complete lack of sympathy from her son's former headmaster who accuses her of having a vendetta against the school. Despite all of this she has fought on and deserves the support of decent people. When it appears that you are fighting a lone battle it's good to know that someone is on your side. As a mother, it was quite natural for Pene Kimber to be protective towards her son who had been bloodied and bruised in what is apparently a proud tradition at Parktown Boy's. She wouldn't have been much of a mother if she had just laughed at his bloodstained underpants and quoted Kipling to him. However, unlike some other parents she decided to take the matter further because, in her opinion, what happened was way beyond what is acceptable for a school initiation ceremony. For heavens sake, if South Africa introduced public floggings for criminals there would be an outcry. This was a private flogging, quite possibly for the sexual gratification of those taking part.

At my boarding school we also had various initiation ceremonies. They generally involved humiliation, nudity, discomfort and a typically pubescent fixation on the male genitalia. If you made it into the rugby 1st team initiation was unavoidable but if you were one of those who were up for an initiation ceremony simply because you had become a fifth former (2^nd year) then you might escape initiation if you could convince those handing out the treatment that you were asthmatic and might not survive a naked run around the rugby pitch on a cold November day. The initiation was a rite of passage and once done you were part of the gang. The embarrassment and humiliation was over and then your torturers shook your hand and welcomed you to the world of the senior boys. No masters were involved (they knew when they were happening and made themselves scarce) and the incredible violence that seems to be the norm at Parktown Boy's High simply didn't exist. This is the extraordinary thing about this particular case and the reason Mrs Kimber deserves support. The involvement of masters and the Lord of the Flies sadism of those who thrashed their fellow pupils with cricket bats until they drew blood is quite extraordinary in what I assume is regarded as a privileged learning environment.

The headmaster has unconvincingly argued, as have some of the parents of the boys who have been charged, that this is a proud tradition of the school and therefore not subject to the normal assault laws. In parts of the world stoning a woman suspected of adultery is regarded as a proud tradition but that doesn't make it any more acceptable. In other parts of the world you can be found guilty of a crime and receive the death penalty purely on the basis of a complaint that someone has laid...often without foundation.

The argument put forward on a radio talk show was that the strapping lads who administered the beatings could have the rest of their lives ruined if they are charged. I find it hard to believe that they didn't know that what they were doing was criminal. They were obviously hoping that the school's proud tradition of thuggery and the support of the headmaster would send the fuzz packing. Vilify Mrs Kimber and she will slink away was the tactic.

The problem is that little bullies grow up to be big bullies if they think they can get away with it. You can find them in business and in politics and you can bet your bottom dollar that the sort of people who enjoy bullying their employees had their early training at school.

A prison sentence may be a little excessive for the boys concerned so perhaps they should all be referred for psychiatric evaluation and given two years community service. The headmaster, on the other hand, should be made to publicly apologise on his knees to Mrs Kimber and her son. Since he is clearly unfit to run a school maybe he should be transferred to C Max prison where he could mete out punishment to those more deserving of a sharp whack on the buttocks.