Many of us might remember the biblical story of Pharaoh and the plagues and believe that these plagues no longer exist and pharaoh is dead and gone. I beg to differ, for even today the plagues come in different forms and there is indeed the modern-day pharaoh – the great monarch with absolute power. These pharaohs exist in the home, school and wider society.
The family, coupled with the home environment, has a strong impact on all aspects of the development of children and when plagues such as marijuana, alcohol, homosexuality, child abuse and prostitution enter the home they erode the values which may be found there.
These plagues leave scars that sometimes can never be erased from the psyche of children. They leave them torn, bruised, tattered and helpless. The parents who allow their children to be exposed to these ills can be viewed as pharaohs.
It is sad to say that even in schools pharaohs are raising their heads from as early as the primary schools. These children use their pharaoh techniques to bully others, driving fear into their hearts. Associated with these young pharaohs are plagues such as sexual games, talks and acts, stealing and lying, to name a few.
These plagues are not only prevalent in the primary schools for we are seeing many of them in the secondary schools as well – homosexuality, marijuana, sex and alcohol. Some children are no long fearful of being in the closet; they are now open with their homosexual relationships while at school. Marijuana has now become one of the “working tools” for the classroom and has become commonplace in some school bags. Children are reaching a high during breaks and after school. Sex is being performed in bathrooms, empty classrooms and stairways and some girls no longer see the importance of maintaining their virginity. Alcohol in the form of beers and hard liquor emerges at lunch time disguised in soda bottles.
Teachers need to be vigilant in identifying these young pharaohs and “Moses” them. They need to inform parents when they see negative traits emerging so that appropriate intervention can be put in place. Where possible, teachers need to provide the necessary avenues for counselling.
Not only are there pharaohs and plagues in the home and schools but in the workplace. In the work environment there are some pharaohs in the form of bosses who continue to demonstrate their power over the masses. They use their authority to inflict the plagues of manipulation, intimidation, humiliation and degradation on their workers and even undermine or ostracize them.
These pharaohs create a sense or feeling of defenselessness and injustice in their workers as they try to undermine their rights. In cases like these the workers are forced into subjection out of fear as they conform to the requests of pharaoh. Work colleagues also bring the plague of jealousy into the workplace, negatively impacting on the performance.
Remember that plagues can destroy an entire nation, changing the outlook and destiny of all. Therefore let us do everything in our power to save the home, school and society at large.
• Rhonda A. Blackman is an educator, a National Development Scholar and former president of the Early Childhood Association of Barbados Inc.
