Long term solutions needed for school system

THE EDITOR: School violence again has raised its ugly head in our nation’s schools. What are the solutions to end all this violent behaviour among our nation’s youth? School violence has always been an ongoing problem and measures have been put in place either to curb or eliminate the situation, have there been results? In 2003, there was an increase in school violence/indiscipline among our nation’s youth, and the trend continues into January 2004, and it seems we are only witnessing the tip of the iceberg.

Students of the Belmont Junior Secondary, Siparia Senior Comprehen-sive, St James Secondary (which happens to be my alta mater) have been the recent additions to the ongoing problem of violence. At all these schools violent behaviour has taken place, and with the promise of teachers threatening to boycott classes or to sit in. How sad! What measures can be implemented by the relevant authorities to discontinue such behaviour among students? Who is responsible, is it the parents, the teachers, the students themselves, the Ministry of Education? All stakeholders must take an interest. There are no quick-fix solutions, but there must be short term and long term implementations. Short term solutions such as removing disruptive students from the system can be effective, but what do you do with these students once they return to the classrooms?

Long term solutions can be corrective measures put in place such as counselling for both parents and student, special classes for the troubled students, anger management etc. But when all this is done we want to produce an all-rounded student/youth, when he/she has completed the school system, who can adapt and fit in into society, the community. Is the school system failing our youth today? Do we need to restructure their entire school system? What kind of youth are our nation’s school producing? A complete all-rounded education begins from home with our parents as our first teachers. Parents be more responsible adults.

KEN SMITH
Woodbrook