positive report

WHILE a number of secondary schools have been disrupted by violence during this term, Principal of Parkinson Memorial School Ian Holder is reporting his students
have been staying away from conflict.

Speaking at the school’s annual Speech Day and Prize Giving Ceremony recently, Holder proudly informed those gathered that there have been no fights among students at the school thus far for the school year.

“We have not had any conflict on this campus this school term, not one,” he said.

The principal commended his students for preventing an incident, which took place just outside the school compound between a Parkinson student and a student from another secondary institution, from escalating.

He explained that the student from the other school came to Parkinson to cause the disturbance, but he was pleased that a group of his students led that individual away from the vicinity, while another tended to the Parkinson pupil who received an injury.

Holder also reported that there were cases where students stop their peers from fighting before teachers arrived at the scene.

Deputy Chairman of the school’s Board of Management, who heads the Committee responsible for discipline, Frank Drayton-Fybrace, said he is thankful that Parkinson has not received any negative publicity in the media.

Drayton-Fybrace stated that the Board seeks to reach out to students who have behavioural issues, through carrying out investigations and offering assistance where possible.

“The Board has a no tolerance approach to [in]discipline, especially students with weapons of any kind, stones, and deviant behaviour . . . Ever so often when you open the newspapers, you find that X school is involved in this altercation, Y school is involved. I thank God that Parkinson has not been highlighted,” Drayton-Fybrace said.

On that note, Drayton-Fybrace encouraged the students to continue along that path.

According to the Principal, the obvious change in students’ attitudes can be attributed to the school placing emphasis on developmental programmes for students, including pastoral care, and providing a family setting for students who need love. He said Parkinson has been working with a number of organisations, including Pinelands Creative Workshop.

But most importantly, Holder said he believes that students’ participation in morning assembly where they are encouraged to seek a relationship with God also has a lot to do with the change in behaviour. Teachers are also called on to show “that extra bit of love to students”.

“There are students who are born into this world, and never get anybody to tell them ‘I love you’. Their parents [aren’t] really there for them, and when they come to school they have problems.

“They are going to be deviant because they are not being encouraged and loved at home, they are not being taught the right things, teachers ain’t got time to deal with them properly because you got 30 children in a class, and these children are at the back.

“Every aspect of their lives these students are being pushed back. When they finish school at 16, what do they do? If those students, even if they are not bright, even if they are facing difficulties, but there is somebody to step in and tell them ‘I love you’, it would make a difference in their lives in the future,” he said. (AH)