By Merrick Andrews, Youth Writer
"WHERE'S your home work?," asks the teacher. "I forgot to do it," replies the student.
"Get out of the class," the teacher shouts angrily.
The boy doesn't budge. He's looking elsewhere -- frowning.
"Don't you hear me?," the teacher asks, as the classroom erupts with laughter.
Insulted, the teacher grabs the boy's collar and shoves him out of his chair.
The boy retaliates by thumping the teacher in his groin.
This is a true story, it happened several years ago in the classroom of a Corporate Area high school.
According to media reports, in recent years weapon-toting teenagers are threatening the lives of teachers and fellow students. Some reports say teachers cower in fear behind closed doors while others refuse to teach under circumstances where they feel threatened.
The issue of violence in schools has confounded educators who have been talking about the situation but seem unable to deal with the magnitude of the problem. The breakdown of discipline in schools was one of the main issues discussed during the three-day conference on secondary education put on by the Jamaica Teachers'
Association (JTA) and the Caribbean Union of Teachers at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande in St. Ann earlier this year.
COMMON THESE DAYS TO HATE TEACHERS
It's common these days for a student to hate the guts of a teacher, or vice versa, says 20-year-old Archie Williams, who related the above story.
Sometimes teachers go "over the edge" in dealing with the behaviour of students, added Archie. He pointed to an example two years ago when his friend was told to leave an exam room because he was chewing gum.
"He knew he shouldn't have done it, but his punishment could have been avoided. All she had to do was to ask the guy to get rid of the gum."
According to Archie, his friend has hated the teacher ever since.
Alston Hemmings, a 47-year-old Charlemont High School, St. Catherine, teacher says animosity towards teachers from students is primarily rooted in their home environment.
"Sometimes it is a home relationship where there is something troubling the student and they carry it to the classroom," Hemmings said.
"And sometimes the teachers themselves definitely -- especially in a generation gap -- cannot relate to the students and the students cannot relate to the teacher," he added.
HE WON'T LET THEM
HARM HIM
Hemmings said he would not allow a student to harm him, as his life could be in danger. "Some of these students are indeed violent. And you may never know if they might decide to end your life."
When asked what he would do if attacked by a student, he said: "Well, I would have to draw my first line of defence (he laughed). Protect myself! My first line is to be on the defensive."
And what if the parents get involved by acting negatively? Hemmings described that behaviour as a 'definite no-no'. "I think such parents are ignorant really." He also noted that sometimes parents don't make the necessary move to find out what's really wrong at school.
"Sometimes the parents are not even present," he said, "they should come to the school and speak to the teacher or the principal."
Hemmings added that parents sometimes need to approach the situation by contacting the people in charge at the school, for example, the guidance counsellor or principal instead of going directly to the teacher's classroom or the staff room to demand a public hearing.
Sheree Barnes, a 19-year-old student agrees that parents should get involved because there are cases that students cannot handle on their own.
"And most of the time there is no one on the student's side except friends who wouldn't be of much help. The parents then might be able to bring an understanding to the situation," Sheree said.
She added that students should not retaliate against teachers by physically abusing them. Some students, she added, especially those in the senior grades, think that teachers cannot speak to them anymore.
Therefore some students, she concluded deserved punishment -- those who do not do assignments and who ignore the presence of the teachers in the classroom. These acts are unforgivable, she said.
The grading of school work is one of the reasons for hostility between students and teachers, noted Hemmings. Some teachers mark or grade harshly, he noted, but teachers have their own standards. Sometimes students don't get the grades they think they deserve and may believe that it's because teachers don't like them.
Many students, he added, don't put in enough time and effort yet they expect to have a passing grade. "If you don't study, you don't merit it."
VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR IS INCREASING
Violent behaviour towards teachers from students is increasing, said Patrick Smith, Liaison Officer for the JTA and Ministry of Education.
The problem stems from their domestic situation as well as the influence of the wider society, said Smith.
Increasingly children don't report to parents when they are told to. "Many times an older brother, sister or a friend from the community would come -- and not the parent.
"There is a lack of domestic supervision or not at the level one would be comfortable with," he said. To deal with the problem, Smith said schools should conduct stronger and more active Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meetings.
Schools that boast low levels of violence and disorderly conduct by students have very active PTA bodies/meetings, he observed.
If the PTA meetings are effective "then you will find that the problem will greatly diminish."
