Chad’s educational landscape is grappling with a pervasive, yet often unspoken, crisis. Across numerous institutions, a noticeable decline in student discipline directly jeopardizes the crucial task of preparing the nation’s future leaders. This escalating national concern demands a collective response, with responsibility shared among schools, families, and the broader society.

Incidents once considered isolated are now becoming commonplace: insolent behavior towards teaching staff, frequent altercations, excessive mobile phone use during lessons, vandalism of school property, and acts of aggression. These behaviors are a growing source of alarm for educators, school administrators, and parents alike.

This troubling reality is no longer a hidden secret. From the bustling lycées and collèges of N’Djamena to institutions in the country’s interior, academic sessions are routinely disrupted. Teachers report an increasingly challenging environment where maintaining focus, order, and respect often feels like an uphill battle. Despite established internal regulations and disciplinary measures, many education professionals find themselves struggling to manage students who increasingly disregard authority.

Fundamentally, the family unit serves as the primary incubator for a child’s social development. It is within the home that children should first learn respect for authority, the value of hard work, self-discipline, and appropriate boundaries. Michel Ngardiguina, a French teacher at a N’Djamena lycée, expressed his concerns: “Teaching has become incredibly difficult. Some students no longer accept correction or the authority of their teachers. Sometimes, a simple reminder can provoke insults or aggressive reactions. Without active parental support at home, the school alone cannot rectify all these behavioral issues.”

Many parents, grappling with economic hardships, extensive family obligations, or simply a lack of time, often delegate the entirety of this educational mission to the school system. The consequence is that some students mature without clear guidance, becoming vulnerable to external influences such as social media and negative peer groups, often without a strong understanding of their own education’s significance. Amina Moussa, a parent encountered in Walia Barrière, N’Djamena, shared her perspective: “Many parents are overwhelmed by economic struggles and can no longer adequately monitor their children. Phones and social media exert immense influence on students today. We must reclaim our educational role and collaborate more closely with teachers to protect our children’s future.”

The school, on its own, cannot shoulder this immense responsibility. Its role is undeniably vital for imparting knowledge and instilling civic values, discipline, and communal living. However, it receives children who sometimes arrive in classrooms with already weakened foundational education.

When fundamental values are not firmly established within the family context, schools are left to confront challenging behaviors that are difficult to correct. An educational system undermined by chronic indiscipline is inevitably at risk of producing citizens ill-equipped for the demands of the contemporary world.