School indiscipline, violence on decline

The ministry recognises individuals’ right to express their opinion. In doing so, however, one must be responsible and careful not to make unsubstantiated or inflammatory statements, especially on issues pertaining to the nation’s children.

Feedback is considered from all platforms of communication, including social media.

However, commentators should present their opinions respectfully to support their point.

In the case of the minister’s response to a reporter who asked about a nine-year-old student beating teachers and sexually harassing students, the minister’s remarks were taken entirely out of context and the reporter who asked the question must know this.

The minister responded to what seemed like an incredulous assertion that a nine-yearold child was overpowering adults to issue a beating. In addition, the ministry has no official report that any teacher or aide had been physically attacked.

On the issue of the ministry’s approach to dealing with indiscipline in school, there is a system in place that has been producing results as evidenced by empirical data collected for 2015 and 2016.

The ministry’s data indicate that in secondary schools, suspensions for 2015 amounted to 5,257 whereas in 2016 suspensions in the same sector had fallen to 3,940 students, a decrease of 25.5 percent.

In primary schools, 296 students were suspended in 2015 while in 2016 the total number of primary school suspensions was 254, a reduction of 14.18 percent.

Additionally, a review of the suspension summaries for 2015 and 2016 show that less than one percent of our school population of 220,000 students were involved in disruptive and harmful behaviour.

Requests for extended suspension, which can only be granted by the minister, amounted to 132 in 2015. In 2016 requests were made concerning 48 students — a decline of 64 percent.

In 2017 so far the decline continues.

Our records are bolstered by the various intervention strategies implemented over time — all within the school-based management model. This model encourages the school to engage all its stakeholders in the management of the school and discipline is seen as a community responsibility.

It falls squarely within the advice Patasar gives in her article.

We at the ministry would hate to think that the advice is only good coming from a younger person, but when the policy is implemented by our ministers it is worthless.

Evidence over the past 19 months indicates that many of the intervention strategies implemented by the Ministry of Education have had a positive effect in schools and resulted in a decline of school violence and indiscipline.

This is also supported by feedback from some principals indicating their disappointment in the media’s treatment when reporting on issues of violence involving schoolchildren.

YOLANDA MORALES-CARVALHO Ministry of Education