29/05/2026
Joy Titus invited BRA to meet with the newly inaugurated Debate Club at Bothasig High School, giving learners an opportunity to present their concerns about community engagement, with research and investigation, directly to representatives of that community.
That's me in the hot seat 😁
They came prepared. Their questions were thoughtful, courageous, and grounded in their own lived experience.
What stood out most, however, was how deeply many of them feel alienated from the community around them. They spoke about being treated as “a crime waiting to happen,” about residents crossing the street to avoid them, and about students sitting in parks being assumed to be drinking or up to no good.
The message they receive is not simply that a few learners sometimes behave badly. The message many of them hear is that all young people are under suspicion.
That should give us pause.
Every school, like every neighbourhood, will have a few who make poor choices. But when suspicion becomes the default, we risk pushing away the very young people we should be drawing into community life.
BRA is grateful to the learners for speaking honestly, and to Bothasig High School for creating a space where young voices can be heard. Their challenge to us was clear: community engagement cannot only be about adults speaking to adults. It must also make room for the young people who live, walk, learn, and grow here.
As a community, we can do better — and this was a good place to start.
Let's start by being respectful in the comments.
Bothasig High School
