Esther Tyson, Contributor
Tyson
RECENTLY THERE has been increased focus on education because of the realisation that as a nation our children are performing academically way below the level of our Caribbean counterparts and because of the increase in school violence. I have read and I have listened to the various discussions on the situation. I observe, however, that many people seem to believe that the schools somehow need to address these problems.
I propose, however, that the solution is even more basic: The problem has to be dealt with at the level of the family.
Whereas I believe that the education system needs serious transformation and that the level of unemployment in the country needs urgent attention, it is increasingly clear that as a nation we will not move forward until we deal with the eroded family life of our nation.
Research shows that the students who do well in school, by and large come from homes which are stable and in which sound values and ethics are taught. On the other hand, students who are performing poorly academically and behaviourally are those who, many times, come from dysfunctional homes.
CHILDREN PARENTED BY SIBLINGS
These children are usually parented by siblings not much older than themselves; grandmothers who are ill and tired, or who are left to parent themselves by parents who have gone abroad to earn a living.
Then there are the homes where parents are so caught up with themselves and their careers that they have no time for their children. In addition, you have homes where parents are in conflict with each other or where the family has been torn apart by divorce. The children are the ones who feel the effects of these situations and they in turn play out their anger in school. I see it
repeatedly. The origin of the anti-social behaviour of many students is in the home.
The school does not have the resources to deal with all these problems that originate in the homes of our society. We need to develop a policy whereby when students are registered at the basic and preparatory school level, their parents are also required to participate in parenting workshops to ensure that they learn and understand what sound family values are and how to train their children to become individuals with sound morals and ethics. This may not fix all the problems but I have come realise more and more that many persons parent the way they have been parented and that many have not had positive role models to emulate.
The cycle needs to be broken and this can be done through the education, not only of the children but more so of the parents.
Mrs. Esther Tyson is principal of the Ardenne High School in Kingston.
