Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 05:27

School fights in the spotlight

THE EDITOR: Conflict at the level of our teens and pre-teens, which often culminates into a violent explosion, has in recent times been attracting the attention of the Education Ministry. School fights are nothing new. What is indeed new is the increasing frequency of those unfortunate incidences. In the quest to eliminate this ugly scourge, the causative factors must first be identified. While small classrooms create a family-like and amicable atmosphere, large classrooms render it difficult for students to become well acquainted with each other and this phenomenon may be a major contributory factor to this malaise. And considering how impractical it may be to reduce classroom size, programmes to facilitate students’ acquaintance and familiarity should be entertained. In those circumstances joining young hearts and minds together should be the focus of all teachers, parents and guardians. Bus excursions which seem to have been detached from school programmes should be resuscitated as this feature has the capacity to fulfil two major objectives: It enables students to know their country better, and it solidifies and boosts classroom relationships. An equally functional method of enhancing the quality of classroom relationships is by the institution of a birthday club. Extending birthday greetings to classmates while enjoying delicacies in the classroom setting would be ideal in the attempt to peak classroom relationships. Respect for school authority appears to have dwindled with the passing of time. The esteem and high regard children once held for their school teacher no longer seems to exist. A teacher is now seen by pupils as just another individual. It should be made mandatory for both male and female teachers to undergo martial arts training as there are now reports of physical fights ensuing between teacher and student. Martial arts teaches quick methods to subdue the opponent, thereby evading a prolonged struggle. Schoolboys and schoolgirls are no doubt aware that being found in possession of an illegal weapon or harmful drugs constitutes a serious offence, but they may not be aware that fighting is similarly categorised. Police intervention into "clean" school fights should be restricted and very measured, relaying all such incidents to the parent-teacher association for its consideration and attention. While some adolescents pursue puberty with no adverse incidences, many others exhibit significant behavioural modification, often committing offences during this period of mental transition, violations over which they often have no control. It cannot therefore be equitable or just or even ethical to administer custodial punishment for the commission of an offence over which he/she had no resistance or control. The upcoming Carnival season may usher in a proliferation of harmful and life-threatening drugs. In these circumstances every effort should be made to bring awareness to the school population. Research reveals that there is a definite link between teens’ substance abuse and how well they do at school. Teens who abuse drugs have lower grades, a higher rate of absence from school and an increased potential for dropping out, says a university professor. The benefits of well-knitted and healthy classroom relationships cannot be over-emphasised as this leads to improved behaviour and better academic performance of students. Of equal importance is physical activity in children and adolescents as declared by the World Health Organization (WHO). This promotes bone health. It enhances healthy growth and development of muscle and it improves cognitive functions. Thirty-one per cent of adults and 80 per cent of adolescents do not meet the recommended level of physical activity, warns the WHO. It should be mandated by law that no school in TT should be run without the deployment of a trained physical education teacher, football and netball coaches and an accomplished dietician. Certain illnesses that our teens and pre-teens are now afflicted with are as a result of a lack of physical activity. The smartphone, the tablet and other electronic devices have taken the place of sports – which involve vigorous movements – paving the path for hypertension and diabetes, adult-associated illnesses. It has become imperative for parents and guardians to monitor their teens and pre-teens, more so on weekends, to ensure that their time spent at home is not spent wholly with their devices, just breaking for lunch and returning to them after they have completed their meal – a grand and perfect recipe for the aforementioned medical conditions. DAVID O'NEAL via e-mail The post School fights in the spotlight appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.