The Editor, Sir:

The upsurge of violence in our school has been of major concern to us students and it is, therefore, important that our voices be heard.

Many times teachers and other adults make proposals, which seem harsh and may either be taken into account or dismissed. It should be of added significance, however, when students themselves make a cry for more stringent policies to be undertaken by our officials.

Madam Minister of Education, the current policy where teachers, members of staff, and prefects are not able to search a student openly has to be reviewed. As we have it, the students have to be willing to expose whatever they have in their possession.

Many students cite the need to carry knives and weapons to school to defend themselves, but on many occasions teachers and prefects alike are fearful. Added to that they do not possess the power to search without the students' consent which, of course, is not forthcoming on most occasions. This makes the school a dangerous environment for our youths, not unlike the rest of our society.

Madam Minister of Education, this is an urgent cry for you to empower our school officials to make our schools safer by empowering those who have to toil in moulding our maids. This call comes in light of the recent violent incidents in some schools and the stabbing of a male student.

Madam Minister, empower our officials, because even as a student representative we know that guns, knives and other weapons are not uncommon features.

In essence, it is my understanding that in terms of instilling more draconian security policies, principals have their hands tied by the ministry and its policies. But should we students stand defenceless, should teachers and members of staff be exposed to this element of unabated 'badmanship'? I think not.

Additionally I think it is a joke that in a society like ours, there still exists security personnel armed with a mere baton at school gates. I have seen security personnel cower in fear in face of the 'badmanship' of individuals who, perhaps, make up a minority of our society, but still a significant minority it is. Madam Minister I suggest that armed security personnel and search of bags and persons be mandatory in schools, especially ones identified as violence-prone!

What of stigmatisation? The fact remains such is the gravity of the situation that we must be prepared to adopt suitably draconian measures.

A call for the attention of the Ministry of Education towards a swift and meaningful overhaul of the rather relaxed security situation in our schools should not go unnoticed. Madam Minister, we seek your intervention.

I am, etc.,

ABKA FITZ-HENLEY

Student Council Vice-President

Ardenne High School

St. Andrew

The Editor, Sir:

It was bound to happen. This is in relation to the incidents of indiscipline that have been brought to the nation's attention by the media over the past few weeks. I was always concerned about the fact that teachers were being held almost completely responsible for the poor performance of our children in the nation's secondary level schools. However, I have always wondered how any teacher with the best of intentions could possibly educate students who are of the opinion that education, civil order, discipline and respect for authority have no place in their lives?

Is it not the case that the home environment should be the place where children are first nurtured in a manner which leaves them thinking otherwise? It is after this foundation has been laid that educators should then be able to do that which they have been commissioned to do. If parents have neglected or are incapable of ensuring that this foundation is laid down, how then can any teacher be expected to make scholars out of these students?

I have taught at the secondary level before in this country and my last experience left me completely appalled. In a class of 50 students, where only five are really interested in learning and the remaining 45 are disruptive, what is the teacher to do when the school has a culture of indiscipline? On several occasions I had to ignore numerous expletives being belted out by students on the corridor, a consistently high noise level on the school campus, the smell of ganja on male students and female students using their camera phones to take photographs of their private parts while a class is being conducted!

However, in an institution where a culture of indiscipline is the order of the day, oftentimes teachers often get no support from the administration where change is concerned. In my opinion, many of the schools administrators are incompetent individuals who lack leadership skills and must be sent packing. Those who are not performing are either seriously blind, in denial, or simply too egotistical to admit that they are ineffective in their role as administrators. Many of these students are in need of the attention of parents first and foremost and also the services of counsellors, psychologists and the stern hand of the law.

Is it that our nation's teachers have received the requisite training in the latter three areas why it is expected that they should be able to pick up where parents have dropped the ball? Many of these parents, for whatever reason, have households that are out of control and themselves are in need of help.

In a recent incident, a friend of mine had to transfer her son from a prominent all-boys high school because he was set upon by seven boys (four of whom were not students of that institution) on the school compound. All this because he did not give them money that they wanted. Now, why a grade-seven student should have money to give away is beyond me.

Our state of affairs has been compounded by the fact that many among us, including parents of many wayward students, believe that if the thing is not of the essence of 'boogooyagga, bling bling and sketel' then it is not worth our time. When boys can attend school with their faces bleached, eyebrows shaved (which as a woman I have never done), hair uncombed, belt buckles the size of their palms and pants as tight as a second skin, what does that say about the level of discipline in these institutions? When girls are allowed to wear extremely short uniforms, bleach their faces and walk around with towels on their shoulders, one corner of which is constantly in their mouths, what does that say about their self-respect and the level of discipline in their homes and schools?

Above all, I am concerned for those students who really want to learn, but are outnumbered five to one by others who are only in school because they are of a particular age. This is why I am bothered by this talk of zoning schools. What happens if most schools in a particular zone are what I call 'sketel' schools, where administrators are not in control of unruly students and teachers can be fondled at the whim and fancy of lascivious male students?

Our schools are in trouble and the Ministry of Education needs to stop passing the buck on to the nation's teachers. They must provide the necessary resources in our schools and send home the bench warmers, and by this I do not mean the students only.

I am, etc.,

P.A.

dammit2452003@yahoo.co.uk

Portmore

Via Go-Jamaica