Dear Editor,
Discipline is something that society has lost sight of, or, should we say a virtue that has long been laid aside, and in its place mere lawlessness, rough and uncouth behaviour. One of these places is our schools. Instead of being institutions of learning and refinement, they have become places of frequent brawls and other attacks. It saddens me to see the depths at which society has fallen into, with the epicenter, so to speak, being our schools.
On this note, an incident was reported in a leading newspaper. That incident occurred at a secondary school in the greater Demerara Area. The gravity of the matter necessitated the intervention of law enforcement. We cannot brush aside the fact that something untoward happened at that school, that may have necessitated the teacher calling in law enforcement. It is a sad reality where law officers have to be called in to our educational institutions, to address matters of gross misconduct. In this instance, we are not privy to all the finer details of the story, because of the reporting, but what I am pretty sure of, is that this incident is not the first of its kind, and by no means unique, hence the need for the intervention of the police.
So, let me relate to you a situation that took place over here. A female teacher spoke to a male student about his non submission of a School Based Assessment (SBA) project, to which he bluntly refused to give the teacher an appropriate answer. He was taken to the Principal where the same behaviour continued. The Principal asked the student to leave the school’s premises and go home. The student did not comply, but was seen lurking on the school’s compound, issuing threats to the teacher. At this stage, the Principal had no other option than to call in law enforcement, who carried out his removal. Schools are institutions of learning where rules exist, chief among those, being discipline. Students have to realize that they are in a place where rules exist, and if these are not complied with, then sterner methods may have to be applied. Our institutions are governed by strict guidelines – no one is exempt. In the same token, schools are not dictatorial, and if a student feels that s/he is unfairly dealt with, then s/he has recourse. The student can take it up with the educational authorities, or even take it to court; but in the meantime everyone must respect school rules. Students must comply with the rules of the school, not the other way round.
Sincerely,
Neil Adams
