Bully power

Persecution and fear are their intentions.

Khalid Masood’s murderous attack on the British Parliament typifies the elusive, suicidal bully.

Deaths, fear and barricades quickly escalated. Bully power.

What started me on this bully track is when I heard two weeks ago about “a nine-year-old boy beating up a teacher” at Tabaquite’s Santa Rita Primary School. Imagine that? Parents felt compelled to go on the streets to protest this nine-year-old bully. (Eventually called an eleven- old boy.) The school quickly became a scary place. Bully power.

He was also accused of regularly beating up other students as Education Minister Anthony Garcia expressed disbelief. And the parents protested against him, asking for an apology. Meanwhile, the bully boy is being counselled, even promised a caretaker aide. Imagine that.

Parent Savitri Persad said this “bully boy” habitually entered the girls’ washroom, harassing them.

Also choking other students. Imagine that.

What followed this “bad john” incident were the frightening headlines last Thursday. One front page screamed: Boy beaten to death. This 16-year-old Jesse Beephan of Waterloo Secondary School had his head reportedly crushed, then dumped into a nearby drain. Imagine that.

Another front-page added to the shock: Schoolboy murdered.

Then this other headline: Student beaten unconscious by classmates at Mayaro Secondary School. The Form Two victim and three others – all females – have been suspended for seven days. Imagine that. On information received, the Education Minister said, “all four students must share responsibility.” And again, parents protested this – caused by bully power. So, within a few weeks of school bullying, one student ended up with a broken hand, another beaten unconscious, and another murdered near school premises. Imagine that. A child goes to school to learn.

Today, parents are frightened. The effects of bully power against school authority. It continues with a fed-up mother running down a bully who allegedly choked her daughter. Friday’s front-page shouted: Mayhem.

And while parents looked for remedy, up came the Teaching Service Commission claiming that absent teachers contribute to “increasing school violence and delinquency.” Over 300 teachers have been selected for disciplinary action.

Two things here. (1) School delinquency and moreso violence have been long known to be on the rise.

The evidence (from me too) has been reliably provided to the authorities since 2002. So when the blaming starts, a fair perspective must be provided for policy action. A critical part of this country’s policy deficit is that action is not taken when a problem begins to show its head. Implementation paralysis. It is a wait-andsee attitude, hoping the problem will go away. Until it reaches an intractable, crisis stage when blame is pelted left, right and centre, with Peter paying for Paul. Collateral damage.

(2) The matter of school management arises. Yes, reform to the Education Act is needed – that was started almost 15 years ago! Take Sections 26 (Education Act) on the 12 specific functions of school supervisors, and Section 27 on the 11 specific functions of school principals. In fact, if these stipulated functions are carried out efficiently and effectively, a lot of the school problems we now face would be much less. (Supervisors and principals may explain their own challenges).

Section 27 states, “Principals shall be responsible for the day to day management of their school, including (a) the supervision of the physical safety of pupils,... (d) the discipline of the school.. (e) keeping of proper records.” So what about broken fences, school safety officers? And parents? Section 83 states, “A parent who neglects or refuses to cause a child (of school age) to attend school is, unless legally excused, liable on summary conviction of seventy five dollars.” School bullies have been allowed to gain too much power today.

T h e s y s t e m n e e d s s h a k i n g up. The y o u n g bullies of today will likely become the criminals of tomorrow.

Editor’s Note: On Friday, the Education Minister disclosed the Santa Rita student suffers from Oppositional Defiant Disorder