WHAT IS GOING on among schoolchildren in little Barbados?
This is a reasonable question many people will pose following what seems to be a sudden burst of stupidity and foolish acts on the part of some of our tender minds in recent weeks. It is a worrisome trend which must be brought under control quickly.
Some may consider the development as no big deal and just part of adolescent behaviour. But when pranks or actions turn violent and even deadly, then it becomes a cause for concern even if it involves children pitted against other children.
It is evident that many of our schoolchildren are increasingly using bad language as a matter of course, behaving badly while on the school buses, misusing social media, and being rude and disrespectful. That old-time Caribbean approach of forcefully applying the rod is no longer acceptable and, in any case, has not proven to be an effective solution to the problem. Removing those troublemakers from school before completing their education may provide a short-term solution but could create possible long-term problems.
The fights on buses, in bus terminals, outside of schools and even in neighbourhoods cannot be dismissed as a passing fad. What makes it all the more disturbing is that much of the misbehaviour is being posted on social media.
The recent incidents which have been highlighted are not routine school disciplinary infractions which will land the students only in the principals’ offices but may require police intervention. Yet, while we want the perpetrators to be punished, we must be cautious against tarnishing our young people in a negative way. The stigma of being deemed a criminal so early could be a lifelong stain that would be difficult to erase.
Our schools must not overlook or accept any nonsense by our primary or secondary students – in the classroom or outside. At the same time, we need to do more to keep the youth from being arrested while at school for what in some instances can best be described as behavioural problems. Arresting, handcuffing and charging our schoolchildren is neither a long-term nor meaningful solution to the problem which must be resolved.
Rather than channelling money into the courts and detention facilities dealing with wayward youth, the money may be better spent on employing more counsellors and training educators in classroom management.
This is not a problem for the schools and teachers alone. Parents and guardians must be the real bulwarks in ensuring that the correct standards are set and adhered to if we are to overcome this problem. It all begins in the home.