Abuse by teachers

THE EDITOR, Madam:

ONE OFTEN hears today of the indiscipline of the students in our schools across the island, particularly in our high schools; but the treatment being meted out to students by teachers is seldom brought to the attention of the public. I am quite sure that the bad behaviour of many students in our schools, and of boys out of schools, is the outcome of the abuse that they have had to accept (both verbal and physical) by teachers, especially in their first and second forms at (high) schools.

I am the guardian of a first former and I am appalled at the forms of abuse which I am told some of the students are subjected to almost daily by some of the teachers.

I wrote to the principal at length last term and reported some of these forms of abuse that students were experiencing and he replied saying that he would look into the matter. I do believe that he has spoken to his staff, but some teachers still persist.

Allow me to mention just some of the things that the students have been subjected to:

They are told to stand at the back of the form room and hold a chair above their heads;

They are told to face the wall and then the teacher slaps them in their headbacks with an upward movement of the hand;

They are told to stand on their toes and bend their knees slightly;

They are sent outside to stand in the sun;

The whole form is detained for the entire lunch break;

One female teacher resorts to pinching and pummelling them in their backs with her fist;

Two teachers and even a supervisor beat them hard with a piece of board and if their hands gets in the way, tough luck.

Recently, my ward told me, and this was confirmed by other students of his form, that he was ordered to throw his handkerchief in the waste bin because he was wiping his face with it. When he hesitated, he was threateningly told to do it. He had no alternative but to comply. I wrote to the teacher expressing my disapproval of his action and requesting that he replace the boy's handkerchief.

I am told that when he took the letter to him, he was asked what it was about and was told about the kerchief. The teacher grabbed the envelope from him, crushed it up, flung it in the waste bin and shouted, "I say I am not giving you back!"

From what I have been told, there is much indiscipline among the boys, but I do not believe that treating them in these uncivilised ways is helping to make them better.

I am in the process of writing to the Ministry of Education outlining some of these atrocities, in the hope that an investigation can be carried out at the school. I have even thought of summoning the parents/guardians of the boys in the form my boy is in, to a private meeting to find out how much of these happenings have been told to them by their sons, and to see what action we as parents/guardians should take.

I would like to appeal to parents/guardians to encourage their children to report similar forms of abuse to them and not to be afraid to do so.

I do hope that the publication of this letter can be a step towards the reduction of crime and violence in the days to come.

I am etc.,, D.K. POLACK, P.O. Box 7, Mavis Bank P.O.

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