Deosaran: Teachers must prepare next generation to save TT

This was the call made by criminologist, Professor Ramesh Deosaran, as he addressed the Caroni District Teachers and Administrators Conference at the Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School in Couva earlier this week.

Tackling the theme ‘Sustaining a Peaceful School Culture’ Deosaran said, “We cannot speak about a culture of peace in schools without considering the socio-economic environment in which the school is located. And over the years, that environment, the society that is, has been allowed to grow into the most toxic, nosiest and corrupt we have known since political independence.” He said whatever teachers do in school is therefore seriously contested by the examples seen outside.

Deosaran urged those in the teaching profession not to give up.

“The challenging role of teachers now is not only to instil a culture of peace in the schools, it is also to help reduce the deviance and corruption in the society by instilling the required values, attitudes and behaviours.” Turning his attention to the issue of a dress code for teachers, Deosaran said teachers and school administrators must be careful not to appear as approving “commando- s tyle dressing, nose-rings, alpagats or torn-up jeans” noting that both Education Minister Anthony Garcia and People’s National Movement (PNM) chairman, Franklyn Khan, expressed concern over the manner of dress of some teachers.

The lack of discipline in this country, he says, is rooted in many issues.

“This goes beyond how teachers dress.

I think the issue is not so much the imposition of a dress code, but that teachers themselves should know how to dress properly. When you look around, there is indeed a case to be made.” He noted, however, that this should also apply to visiting parents and students.