‘Violence in schools a reflection of society’

THE violence displayed by students in schools throughout the region is a reflection of society, and a collaborative approach is needed to deal with the problem. That is the view of Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) president Byron Farquharson, who also believes that sex/health education should be taught to young children to make them aware of HIV/AIDS. Farquharson was yesterday responding to questions by reporters after the opening of a two-day workshop on collective bargaining for regional teachers’ associations at the Cascadia Hotel, St Ann’s. He said violence and undisciplined students were prevalent in the region, and linked it to health and safety in the school environment.

Admitting there was no hard and fast solution to the problem, Farquharson suggested a collaborative approach by administrators, the school, parents and students to assist with the problem. He said the school was not in isolation with its problems, but rather a “reflection of society and there is violence in our society.” Farquharson supported initiatives such as perimeter fences and counselling and safety officers, but he was reluctant to give his support to armed guards at schools. He noted that some schools in the region had environmental problems and, pointing to those in Grenada and Jamaica which suffered as a result of Hurricane Ivan last year, he said “there are schools that are still not up to scratch with unhealthy situations.”

Farquharson noted that with the upcoming CXC exams, the “disruptive elements will impact negatively on students’ performance and there will be some challenges.” As for the impact of HIV/AIDS on schools, the CUT president said all units of teachers’ associations were being encouraged to preach tolerance. He said sex/health education should start with early education and focus on strong prevention methods. As to how early the child should be exposed to such education, Farquharson made no apologies, stating, “as early as they can absorb” the information. He said as unions, “We have to focus on education in its broadest sense, not only in terms of remuneration.”

He also called for teachers to be treated with respect, pointing out that teachers always came under microscopic attention and there was a need to have quality teachers. Referring to the workshop, Farquharson said the more empowered teachers are to negotiate, it will redound to the benefit off all. Colin Green of Education International expressed hope that the workshop will enable the unions to come to consensus on issues, hoping they would not have to jump on any table to negotiate. TTUTA President Clyde Permell said his union would reserve the right to use any weapon in its arsenal when it comes to collective bargaining, but he said discussions with the Ministry of Education have been encouraging on several issues.