Police in the Eastern Province city of Jubail have opened an investigation following a big brawl outside a high school where students fought pitched battles. Two students suffered multiple stab wounds, which required them being admitted to hospital for days. This follows news from a Taif high school where a fight involving a large number of students resulted in many injuries.
The two incidents show us that we are heading for a large problem, namely gang fights in schools. The rear doors at schools have become the scene of huge fights that take place between students to settle scores. There are significant tensions inside schools, where students are raising tribal calls to stand together against students from opposing tribes. The time when students end the school day is the time when problems start. I remember someone saying that protecting nuclear installations is a lot easier than protecting schools because nuclear reactors remain in one place while students move everywhere, which makes it difficult to guard them.
The dangerous part of this problem is not that it is between two students, which is a problem that can be easily contained. The problem is in the group fighting that symbolizes barbaric behavior that is let loose. Barbaric behavior and youths are like fire and oil; once they are mixed it is difficult to put out.
We should take the gang fighting in schools seriously and search for the reason behind its spreading. It could be tribal and it could be territorial, but in any event we should find a way to make sure that it will never happen again.
