Respect starts at the top

THE EDITOR: The Ministry of Education should be lauded for organising programmes to help stem the tide of indiscipline and violence in the nation’s schools. However, serious attempts must also be made to ensure that discipline begins at the top.

There is no way we can have peace in our schools if administrators fail to provide accountability, transparency and exemplary behaviour to their own staff and students. Some principals raise funds in their schools and refuse to provide proper financial accountability to their staff. The time has come for the Education Ministry to insist that all administrators account for school funds. Some of them refuse to do so, which is a serious act of indiscipline.

I wish to point out that if the head of an institution is not respected by staff, students and parents, there is no way he/she can be an effective leader. Principals and teachers who drink excessively and go to classes turn off students. These young people also have little or no respect for those who curse, smoke and abuse them on the school compound and then turn around and tell them how they should behave. It is known that certain teachers and principals need urgent help with their substance abuse problems, so it’s difficult to ask them to help keep our children sober.

I wish to point out that many student councils have their work cut out for them by autocratic administrators who really don’t want their students to address issues that may expose them in a negative way. This is so because some principals do not want bad publicity for their school nor do they wish to the public to know the wrongs they commit. The Education Ministry needs to appoint people to visit our schools and listen to the grievances of not only principals, but teachers and students as well. The appointed people must not be individuals who are part of the problem or part of the cover-up. The Ministry should ensure that they are fair and willing to assist all the stakeholders. We must not make believe that students are the only ones contributing to indiscipline and violence in schools.

Many children, who can be helped with the proper approach and counselling, are instead suspended. This contributes to further indiscipline and violence. Some principals take the easy way out by suspending students as soon as they commit an offence. On numerous occasions my colleagues and I have had to help suspended students who we believe should have remained in school. A student on suspension must be sent to a rehabilitative centre, otherwise we will be adding to the indiscipline and violence in society.

The shortage of male teachers in the classroom is a major reason for some of the problems in schools. There are co-ed schools where the principal, vice principal and those acting for them when they are absent, are all women. This cannot be an ideal situation, so we call on the Education Ministry to address this imbalance in our schools. I agree with Fr Gerry Pantin that teachers must be selected in our schools not only for their academic qualifications but also for their loving and caring attitude. The future teachers must be all trained to deal with aggressive students. In that way, we will have no need to constantly blame a shortage of counsellors for indiscipline and violence in schools.

HARRACK  BALRAMSINGH
La Romain