What's going on in our schools?

What’s going on in our schools?

Oct 16, 2023 Editorial

Editorial…

Kaieteur News – Our schools have had too many situations deteriorating into raw anger, with some levels of violence being part of an alarming mix. Previously, there were instances of the unthinkable, where parents threw all decorum out of the window, sought out teachers in the classroom or wider school environment, and pummeled them. Teachers themselves, the guardians of our young, have sometimes taken matters into their own hands, either to defend themselves or to retaliate against attackers. Regardless of the circumstances, and who was right and who wrong, the unacceptable and the outrageous have resulted, which could only have been damaging to vulnerable minds.

In recent weeks, there has been a flurry of troubling incidents in our schools. A handful of the children are now abusing one another, battering one another, and bringing down one another. It is not just those involved, but what casts a wide arc that touches those at the site of clashes, and others in school at the time. To repeat the obvious: this is not the best learning environment for nurturing the little ones, the slowly developing wave of Guyana’s future. Traumatic is the word that comes to mind, and the bullied and victimized are not the only ones impacted, especially when the unthinkable arrests the entire nation in the worst way possible.

The unthinkable is that picture of horror, of a schoolboy with a piece of wood raised in the most menacing manner, and another child defenseless at his feet in a school drain. The fallen boy already has a broken bone from the first blow allegedly delivered by the assailant towering over him, and with another a matter of seconds away. This is violence extraordinaire all by itself, and made more appalling and gut-wrenching given the fact that it is happening in a school compound during school hours, as is believed to be the case.

Who bullied whom first should have no bearing, no weight, in this most regrettable of situations. This went too far, and with wounds to match. The Ministry of Education has indicated that it is on top of things, and the police have been contacted. The latter is essential, for this is bigger than routine school discipline. The concern is that there were a couple of other incidents in the last few weeks at the same school, which will remain unnamed due to the sensitivity of the population at hand.

Isolated instances may be understood, despite the struggle to sift through conflicting claims as to where it all began and on whose head, fault should be placed. The fascination and allure of gangs and weapons only make a bad situation worse. Hard circumstances have their part to play, and the immature nature of youth, certainly can be contributory factors. But is there more beneath the surface in this fast-moving Guyana?

Anger and frustrations now riddle different layers of this society, and there is a growing absence of confidence in the correcting, protecting reach of the law. Children do not live on desert islands in Guyana, but in homes that could be hardwired with the anxieties of the times, and the press of the environment. Adults vent their rage in the privacy of their surroundings, and children absorb like a sponge. The TV is usually there, and its menu is sprinkled with lots of violence and thumbing nose at authority, plus taking huge risks with new cultures growing steadily entrenched. Modern technology in hand or on the desktop provides an endless feed of what is cool and glamorous. In essence, don’t take any stick from anyone, and it is heroic to stick it to the establishment.

Whether due to administrative weakness, or from personal indiscipline, or traceable to social and political cultures, the young are shedding inhibitions like never before. They batter those who get in their way, upset their equilibrium. It could be a case of when in Rome, do as the pacesetters do. Though likely to be denied, Guyana has degraded into an unrecognizable place, where courtesies and restraints are concerned. Lashing and bashing verbally from the head table are the new norm. Some children could be taking a page from there with the idea, if there, why not here.

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Guyana's future, Regardless of the circumstances, The Ministry of Education, The TV is usually there, This is violence extraordinaire

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