This MoE employee encouraged disrespectful behaviour from a student and his parent at Annandale Secondary School

Sep 18, 2024 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Maintaining discipline in schools is a constant battle that teachers face every day, many have simply chosen to ‘give up’ the fight and seek more peaceful and lucrative professions rather than compromise their mental health and subject themselves to constant disrespect from children.

When one has to deal with the antics of misbehaving children, not only is time taken away from the actual lessons but the quality is severely affected. And the majority of well-behaved students who are keen to learn suffer and are the real victims of their indisciplined classmates. Maintaining discipline in the classroom is a never-ending task that one must perform and endure or else, one’s authority is undermined, respect denied and control over the class lost which then leads to great difficulty in delivering the curriculum and quality lessons. Therefore, meaningful support is expected and should be given to teachers in this area especially from the Ministry of Education and the parents of students.

Well, what should be happening is hardly ever the reality on the ground. What one gets instead is gross disrespect, lack of support, and a beating down psychologically. Last week I was faced with a disrespectful child in the classroom which is a normal occurrence but what surprised me and prompted this letter was what occurred when I tried to speak with the child’s parent.

The child mocked me by repeating what I said to him in a derisive tone while facing the class so I immediately stopped speaking to him and asked for the contact information of his parent. I viewed his behaviour as grossly disrespectful towards me. After giving me the requested information he then gesticulated wildly and loudly stating that he was going to report me etc. This dramatic behaviour was disrupting my lesson so I told him to leave the class and while at the door he continued with his dramatic body movements, head rolling and a final ‘Ta ta’, which prompted the entire class to laugh uproariously for several minutes. Not only were nearby classes affected but my authority was challenged, my lesson was disrupted and I was disrespected by this student in front of the class. His ‘punishment’ was for me to have a conversation with his parent about his behaviour, an apology from him for being disrespectful and an apology to the class for disrupting their lesson.

After the class, I tried calling the number he gave but got a message saying that it was not in service so I issued a letter to the child, stamped and signed by the headteacher, for his parent/guardian to visit the school the following day at a specific time. The next day, nobody came so I asked him why his parent didn’t come. He told me that his mother spoke with the acting DHM and that she got ‘the memo’. I asked what was ‘the memo’ and he didn’t respond. Later I was rudely accosted by the school’s counsellor who insisted that she was going to speak with the child although I never requested her intervention. I repeatedly told her that I need to speak with the child’s parent about his behaviour. I then formally requested to speak with the parent in a letter addressed to the head master (HM), Mr Shakoor.

The following day, in the HM’s office with the DHM (ag) present I was told by the HM that Ms. Gillian Vyphius who is Chief Schools’ Welfare Officer spoke with them the previous day about my request to see the child’s parent. I wasn’t told what was said and I won’t comment on how I feel the HM and DHM (ag) were affected but it seemed like my request became ‘invalid’ the moment Ms. Vyphius spoke with them. From what I gathered Ms. Vyphius is a relative or acquaintance of the child and his parents.

I told the HM that I refused to be intimidated by anyone and that to give ‘special treatment’ to the child because he knows people in ‘high places’ was unfair to the other students apart from being disrespectful to me. I even pointed out that the previous week, I was able to speak with the grandmother of a misbehaving child and not only was she very gracious and profusely apologetic about the child’s behaviour but I noticed positive changes afterwards and he apologised to me.

I refused to ‘suck up’ and insisted on meeting the parent; the HM then called her and within two hours she came to the school. From the onset, I perceived her attitude towards me as hostile and threatening and I even mentioned this to the HM who was present. At one point I asked to record the meeting and my request was denied by the HM. Also, I felt uncomfortable staying alone with the parent. Now, this child did not receive corporal punishment, a suspension from school or any other forms of punishment for his behaviour apart from a request to speak with his parent and yet this is what I was subjected to.

The most I would have requested was an apology, yet I faced hostility and intimidation. Needless to say, the meeting ended without the child apologising, insinuations from the parent that I would now treat the child differently and a display of obsequiousness. This situation is a microcosm of what occurs in Guyanese society; people feel that they are above rules and laws; should receive special treatment or can treat others deplorably/disrespectfully because they are either VIPs or are personally acquainted with VIPs.

Ms. Vyphius’s intervention was unnecessary in this simple school matter. By getting involved she has empowered the child who is only in Grade 8 to behave disrespectfully to his teacher (s) and classmates. He feels that because he knows VIPs he is special and not subjected to the same rules as his classmates. And his parent is also empowered; because she knows people in ‘high places’ she should not have to visit a school her child attends to have a cordial conversation with his teacher about his behaviour.

Editor, I do not believe in corporal punishment. I believe that ‘disciplining’ a child could take various non-violent forms one of which is to speak with his/her parents/guardian. Often, parents are unaware of how their children behave in the classroom and by speaking with them positive changes could be realised. Teachers should not have to fear or being intimidated by any student or their parents. Also, those with power and authority in the education sector should use their position to bring about positive changes and not intimidate/show off on ‘lowly teachers’ trying to do the best they can for their students while maintaining discipline and order in the classroom at the same time.

Yours faithfully,

Narissa Deokarran

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• Annandale Secondary school, behaviour, disrespect, Mental, Student

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