Tough lessons
I never intended to write this column but, the events at the Frederick Smith Secondary School should force many Barbadians to pause, reflect and think carefully about how our actions are being mirrored and amplified by the younger population with now deadly results.
What I term as the ‘short fuse’ syndrome has invaded our school system and the results are visible for all to see. Every action deserves a response. Every negative word aimed at another requires a response. Every tough requires a similar response. If someone interferes with another, then the person affected responds in kind. Often, that person takes up a weapon and brings it either onto the school compound or ambushes the protagonist off compound. This is unacceptable behaviour and it is time that Education authorities and the ‘I told you so’ crowd stop grandstanding and address the overarching problems within the school system.
For all the chat related to this ‘kumbyah’ relationship between teachers’ unions and the new Minister of Education, the challenges within the Education sector are difficult. These issues cannot be settled simply because the public is being told of this brand new relationship between the political head of Education Ministry and the unions. It is far more complex and requires systematic changes within the educational system.
This is a topic which I have thought about for a number of years and yet the representation of the challenges are being simplified. The management structures within schools have been in dispute for a number of years and we must be cognisant of the reasons.
Who is in charge of the schools? By design, A Board of Management has overall responsibility for running of the schools, guided by policies advanced by the Education Ministry, but the day to day running of the school falls to the Principal and their management team. This includes Deputy Principals, Senior Teachers and of course teachers. We have heard a lot over the last few years about dealing with complaints within the management structure, primarily between Boards of Management and teachers/unions, but precious little about other major issues. Forgive me, we have heard about a lack of a maintenance programme for schools. By the same token, when is the Minister going to tell the public why the opening of 20 plus schools was delayed after the long summer break? It was not weather, so what was it?
Disputes between Principals/Boards of Managements and teachers’ unions have spilled onto the public domain. The most visible one being at the Alexandra School, where a breakdown of respect between the parties involved, showed how a failure of dialogue can impact the efficient functioning of any school. Read the report of the Commission of Inquiry into that sorry exercise to understand that the school system is only as strong on a viable relationship between parties where clear power structures are respected.
It is tonal as well. Too often, disputes within schools at the management levels carry a tone which makes resolution challenging. I am the first to advocate a process where problems with contracts or conditions should be clearly handled within the consultation mechanism. Teachers and their representatives should be respected, but respect has to extend to the principals and their representatives. If schools are to be strengthened, it cannot be a game of ‘oneupsmanship’ where one side expects to get all that they want at the expense of the other. That breeds contempt and an erosion of trust. That is witnessed by students who see a school system on edge waiting for the next dispute to disrupt schools.
That being said I was eating lunch when I got the news last Friday of the tragic death of the 16 year old student at the Frederick Smith Secondary School. I, for one, have reached my limit and if I hear another sanctimonious speech about ‘thoughts and prayers’ for the family of the deceased, I will not be amused. The time for that diatribe has long past. A child is dead, another child committed the act, other students witnessed the event and some may have allegedly contributed to the circumstances at the time of the crime, so we are way past hoping for the best.
Violence in schools has been a serious issue for a long time. It would be invidious of me to sit back and act as though during my time at school was all sunshine, because there were violent acts committed, with fights, even some receiving suspensions. I was at lunch and was shocked to see another child hit someone with an object because they disagreed over a game. It was par for the course, but when it rises to murder, then authorities have to take action.
One thing proposed was more guidance counsellors and social workers within schools. Let me educate you as to what guidance was viewed as when I was at school. It was concerned a free period. We talked about how to deal with growing issues, puberty, interactions between young males and females, all while students tried to focus on the next actual subject on the agenda... you know, ones with grades. At school, we were concerned with getting good grades and taking home reports which we did not have to hide from our parents.
What makes this issue so vexing relates to the blame game being rolled out. We accept that the grieving families will ask questions and a full investigation has to be done to find out what led to the fatality. We must also look into safety procedures at schools during school time.
Much like the gun epidemic in larger countries, students have to be taught defensive mechanisms and find safe places until threats are neutralised. Who would have thought that the threats within schools have grown from bomb threats, to fire drills, to now weapons being brought onto schools!
The time for talk from the Minister of Education has long past. There was a lot of long talk surrounding the previous Minister when issues arose within our schools, so now Minister it is your turn to explain how the school system will be secured not from those outside alone, but from those who are within.
I never thought that I would have to write this... but I had to.