Concerned citizens condemned parental figures for inciting violence among school children.
Last week Friday during the launch of the Olewus Bullying Prevention Programme at Frederick Smith Secondary School, Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw said she was disappointed following the reports that parents were encouraging their children to carry weapons to school for protection.
“This practice needs to stop. Weapons have no place in school and I urge parents to desist from this practice,” she said.
A woman who didn’t give her name said as a parent and a grandmother she would advise parents not to give weapons to their children because it can only lead to the escalation of violence.
“I would not encourage any child to take any weapon to school – nothing at all – small or big. You going to school to learn. That is the main objective. They should be telling their children to learn to walk away from situations where somebody is trying to stab them or interfere with them for no reason at all. Be the better person and go and complain to the head of the school,” she said.
Another parent said children carrying weapons to school were threatening the safety of other students.
“Honestly, yes some parents are encouraging their children to take to school weapons which I don’t think it is the time, the place or the age for kids to be having weapons at school. You’re endangering other children’s lives. We did not send school children to do violence [but for] education which is the main key,” she said.
The have also been several reported incidents of bullying in schools and earlier this month, a male student was stabbed during an altercation with another.
A former teacher said that children were not being taught how to resolve conflict
“I’ve been teaching for 45 years. I’m retired and I’ve seen my fair share of children being involved in arguments. . . .They don’t know how to settle arguments. Years ago you had an argument, you push a child, you maybe cuff them in their stomach and you were friends again but then when you look at the video games and the pictures there’s no recourse; everything is violence. And we as parents have to settle our arguments amongst ourselves without resorting to violence and then the children will pattern us,” she said while recalling her time as an educator.
However, she added that some parents should not be held responsible for the behaviour their children displayed outside of the home.
“I don’t want to put the whole blame on parents because sometimes you teach your children one thing and then they go amongst society and they do something else. You have to be on them 24/7,” she said. (RT)
