Teaching teachers tolerance?

A letter to the editor entitled “Raw Divali deal for Hindus at Valsayn Teachers College” published recently stated, “The Editor: Please hear our plight! Over the last two years Hindu students at the Valsayn Teachers’ Training College (VTTC) have faced continuous prejudice regarding our Divali celebrations. In both cases, after  confirming the dates with our Principal, they were changed at the last minute.

The reason given was that the drama lecturer saw it fit to host a Hawaiian wedding on the date that was originally carded for our Divali celebrations. Last year, VTC had its Divali celebrations at a very early date when compared with other national institutions. In fact, it was celebrated out of the period of Divali (which is usually celebrated in the month of Kartie). No special preference was given to a festival of national significance. This year our celebrations come at the height of preparations by year two students for teaching practice. We suggested October 17 as the date for the Divali celebrations. This date, as was the case last year, was at first approved by our principal, only to be changed again in order to facilitate the drama lecturer who was staging a Tobagonian wedding! It is really sad to think that these are the people who are training us to go out there to teach our innocent youths about our diverse and so-called rich culture. Disgusted student.”

This letter prompted an immediate reaction from the principal of Valsayn Teacher’s Training College Mr Winston Emmanuel with a general meeting of students and staff. A subsequent call was made by an Executive Member of the SDMS to ascertain the facts. A very soft spoken and polite Mr Emmanuel presented the official position of VTTC, which essentially blamed a lack of coordination and unity with the Hindu Society on campus. Mr Emmanuel then invited the SDMS to freely question the Hindu students at the VTTC to get their opinion on the subject. It must be noted that a significant percentage of Hindu Teachers at the VTTC come from the SDMS Education Board. The subject of this column is the findings of that invitation to interview students. To his credit Principal Emmanuel for the past few years has ensured that VTTC observes Divali as well as attempts to promote widespread participation from Hindus and non-Hindus. However, the Hindu society of VTTC found that planning in Divali 2002 celebration at the institution was very difficult. It began when the date to be used was given to the Dance drama department for a ‘Hawaiian wedding.’ The argument was that if the Hindu Society wanted, the Divali function may be held on that day. There were however Hindus in the Dance drama who were also taking an active role in the Divali celebrations and the lecturer made it clear to them that Dance drama came first. So the Hindu students of the Dance drama department were forced to choose between their faith and the Hawaiian wedding. The Divali celebrations date was brought up a week as a result.

This year, 2003, the Hindu students at VTTC claim that the difficulties were repeated. The Hindu society selected a date for the Divali celebrations and informed the administration however on that day that the principal was not in school. The Hindu society wanted to hold the celebrations on Thursday October 16, the day before the scheduled Tobago wedding and this date was passed on to the vice-principal in the absence of the principal on September 29, 2003. The vice-principal asked the Hindu society why the celebrations were being held on a Thursday to which they replied to accommodate the Tobago wedding. To the surprise of the Hindu society the vice-principal did not know anything about this wedding, a date that the Dance drama lecturer claims he had confirmation from the administration to host the mock wedding. The Hindu society assumed that the date selected would have been passed on to the principal by the vice principal. However, this was not the case and on October 9, 2003 the Hindu society was informed by the principal that he had no knowledge about the Divali celebrations and was not even sure the institution was having one this year as a result. Mr Emmanuel also said that the notice given was too short and that the date would have to be moved. However given the previous confirmation by the Vice-Principal plans for the celebrations were already completed. The next Friday Mr Emmanuel held an emergency assembly to address the students about the article that appeared in that day’s newspaper. He said “Emmanuel has faced a lot of dark days as a lecturer and as a principal, but today is the darkest and my colours reflect it.” He gave a speech, which the Hindu students felt targeted the Hindu student body specifically.

The Hindu students at VTTC also spoke widely about the actions of Mrs Lee Sam, a lecturer of VTTC, who it is reported was unflattering of Hindus to her class in a subsequent lecture, encouraging a student teacher to say, “praying around a fire is evil,” and a lusty round of applause in the class followed this. Despite these hurdles the Hindu students held the Divali celebrations on Tuesday October 21, 2003. All the lecturers were formerly invited however Mrs Lee Sam chose to not attend and remained in the Staff room. Another lecturer, Mrs See Wai sat just outside the auditorium, while the Divali celebrations were going on, with a group of students as if she was carrying on a class. These two lecturers greatly disappointed the Hindu students. These actions Hindus felt showed total disrespect for the Hindu students. How can the lecturers be in charge of educating teachers who have to go back to schools and teach Divali as part of the Social Studies curriculum with teachers exhibiting this obvious anti-Hindu posturing? After extensive interviews it was found that the Hindus and by extension, Indians felt they faced discrimination and prejudice on a daily basis at the VTTC both from fellow students and the administration.