Tackle growing indiscipline in schools

Growing indiscipline amongst school children must be dealt with.

This view was recently expressed by retired educator John Goddard, as he spoke on the topic “Advancing the Education Agenda”, during the Astor B. Watts Lunchtime Lecture Series held at the Democratic Labour Party headquarters.

“Government needs to appoint social workers at schools, to investigate special problems faced by some students and work with the students and families to tackle them. Guidance counsellors are important, but they are not trained to deal with social issues. Government must realise that it costs less to employ professionals to help modify the behaviour of children, than to maintain prisoners later,” Goddard remarked.

He meanwhile is calling for a mandatory National Youth Service to be set up for youth who leave school with limited options.

“There is an obvious need for a well-structured national youth service which should be mandatory for all youth over sixteen, who are not working or enrolled in an educational/training institution. We cannot afford to have hundreds of strong, able-bodied young people not gainfully occupied and ill-prepared for productive activity. Democracy must have limits if our society is to remain safe,” Goddard stated.

Goddard has also expressed some concern about how society currently deals with children who run afoul of the law and are sent to the Government Industrial Schools.

“At present, the schools fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs. I propose that these young offenders become the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, which can provide the teaching and other resources available to regular schools. Most of the inmates have special learning challenges which require adequate attention that only the Ministry can provide. Incarceration at the Government Industrial Schools should not simply be a period for punishment, but also an opportunity for rehabilitation. Those who go there should exit better equipped to face the challenges of living,” Goddard said. (RSM)