The Cape Flats Safety Forum says it is deeply disturbed by the answer sheet of a Grade 3 Cape Town learner after he wrote he wants to become a gangster when he grows up.
The answer sheet has been shared widely with community groups and confirmed authentic by the Western Cape Education Department. They are withholding the name of the school to protect the learner.
The Forum’s Lynn Phillips says this is a sad reflection of the socio-economic realities for many children living in gang-infested areas.
“Unemployment, poverty, absent fathers, broken families, no real role models in society or in the household…So kids aspire to become gangsters, as they see it as the only way out, with flashy cars and lots of money…”
Phillips says the indoctrination of young people by gangs in some communities is rife, with kids often being asked to hide weapons, or even worse, become the hitman, in return for payment.
She says they have also picked up that gangsters often tell vulnerable children that they will not be arrested because they are minors.
Phillips fears that many children in gang-ridden areas only feel a sense of belonging once they join a gang. She says a whole-of-society approach is needed to divert young people away from gangsterism.
In response to media queries, the Western Cape Education Department’s Bronagh Hammond said relevant officials have been notified of the Grade 3 learner’s response on the answer sheet, and there will be interventions while the individual circumstances are investigated.
“It is heartbreaking to see that such a young learner could aspire to something like this. Often children are influenced by the home environment and family, friends and community in which they live. As a department, we can only hope to instill confidence, hope and good values so that our learners can aspire to become productive, law-abiding citizens. We of course cannot do it alone. Parents have a major role to play in shaping their child’s personality, character, habits, and emotional development. However, if the parents are not present, uninterested, abusive or lead negatively by example, this can have a negative effect on children.”
The below was widely shared in various groups: The learner is asked to write a personal narrative in 5 sentences on what he wants to do one day and why.
The learner wrote: “One day I am going to be a gangster and hold a gun in my hand. I am going to be a gangster and smuggle guns in my house.”
