The headmasters of St Andrew’s College and Diocesan School for Girls in the Eastern Cape recently voiced stark concerns about declining discipline and values among students, parents, and public figures during their annual prize-giving ceremonies. Addressing over 1,500 parents in Grahamstown, Paul Edey and Shelley Frayne highlighted a troubling trend of pupils becoming “increasingly self-centred and indifferent to the needs of others,” with parents treating education as a “business endeavour.” They criticized the influence of materialism and the lack of accountability, noting that even teen pop culture icons like Miley Cyrus were not spared from their critique. Edey lamented a generation raised on rejecting authority, referencing Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall, while warning that current role models—both within and outside schools—were failing to instill ethical leadership.
Frayne and Edey pointed to the “popular crowd” perpetuating social aggression and abusive behavior, particularly toward girls perceived as lower in status, and called out fathers who shielded sons from consequences for misconduct. Their remarks were echoed by Rhodes University professor Marc Schäfer, who emphasized the gravity of their concerns given the schools’ success. DSG chairwoman Margie Keeton added a broader reflection on South Africa’s national malaise, questioning how the nation had strayed from its democratic aspirations. The schools’ warnings underscore a growing unease about the erosion of responsibility and the challenges of fostering integrity in a rapidly changing society.