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| Sunday, 03 August 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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by Farah Macan Markar Hooliganism among school children is alarmingly close to becoming a fashionable trend. The latest to enter this notorious "list of fame" is Gateway International. In what could be described as yet another chapter in the unending saga of ministerial progeny misbehaviour, a group of students from Gateway International, including the son of Minister Jayalath Jayawardena, went on the rampage on July 2nd 4th and assaulted a police constable on duty, when their efforts to deface the walls of St. Bridget's Convent was foiled. The incident, while confirming public perception about power policies, added another unseemingly blot to the reputation of international schools, making one question the degree of discipline maintained in these schools. The question is all the more relevant, as international schools are not subject to the normal laws governing government or private schools and there have also been reports of international school students misbehaving in public places. Just how serious an issue is discipline in international schools and what does July 24 portend for the future of unruly students? R.I.T. Alles, the principal of Gateway International said "The disciplinary committee of seven members unanimously recommended to the school management that the two children involved in Thursday's incident, be suspended with immediate effect. In making this decision the committee considered the fact that these two children had been in the school, for merely one and a half months, an insufficient period to imbibe themselves with the norms of discipline the school inculcates". According to him, the fact that the two students had come to Gateway from two big educational institutions in the country, raises questions as to why these two institutions, where the two students had been in for years, were not brought up in the press reports. "What about their responsibility?" he questioned. Bodhi Liyanage commenting on what happened said "The head of the school has taken action for what happened. These things can happen anywhere to anyone, whether in international schools or government schools. No school should be labelled". How much is a school responsible for the actions of its students? Children spend only six hours in school. Is discipline a matter to be left for the schools alone? Do not parents, with whom children live and who have the responsibility of raising them bear a big, or even bigger responsibility in all this? Liyanage, was of the opinion that parents should check on their children, as a lot of misbehaviour by students happens outside school, during after school hours. "There is a limit to what school can teach. Parents should be more responsible for there children" he said. Another factor that stands against international schools is that they are more or less run as business ventures, with their own governing bodies. Karunasena Kodituwakku - Minister of Education, Human Resources and Cultural Affairs, while believing that discipline, irrespective of international or national schools, should be carried out by both, was of the opinion that international schools are best left to run on their own. "Their system is best left to function independently without too much political interference" he said. With a shortage of qualified principals and a surplus of political appointments in the country, the Minster said schools, international and national need effective principals and suitable teachers to set good examples to the students and be ideal models for students to follow. "Everyone is responsible for the discipline of students. Principals, teachers and parents need to be watchful and guide their children". While just how much a school is responsible for the discipline of its students, maybe a matter for much argument, the question as to why children/teenagers resort to such aggressive and violent behaviour remains unanswered. It is not every school child who succumbs to this kind of self destructive behaviour pattern. While it may take just one bad egg to spoil others, how that particular egg became bad, bears questioning. Irrespective of how much time is spent apportioning blame, what's essential is to find a cure. Preventing such a thing from happening again will not come through blaming anyone, but by action and help. Children need to learn to deal with the world around them and not resort to violence as a solution to confrontation, or when they can't have their way. Goolbai Gunasekara - Principal of Asian International School "The discipline in international schools is excellent. When something goes wrong we see to it that punishment is meted out. Take a look at the Gateway incident. The principal did not let the matter lie, but took immediate action and suspended the alleged students. The Minster's son has even apologised over the matter. Why is such a big issue being raised? Is it because the boys were from an international school and one was a minister's son. It is not fair to highlight this when there are so many other local school students who lack discipline, misbehave and no action is taken about it by the school heads. In international schools, we take action at once, as Alles rightly did. In our schools, we have much better control and knowledge of each and every one of our students, as we don't have an overload of students. Thus discipline is tight and more effective as well". Ransi Jayatissa - Head of Secondary-Colombo International School "Within the school we have high levels of discipline. What happens outside school is beyond any school's control. We have not had any problems so far. Gateway is not really an international school, but more of an institution which teaches local and London syllabuses. CIS is a semi government non profit making school with 49% owned by the government and 51% by the chairman. The children come from good backgrounds. I have not had any problems in the nine years I have taught them". M.H.M. Rafiq - Director of Wycherly International School "We maintain discipline though not in a regimental manner. While discipline is necessary too much discipline breaks a child's spirit. If something like the Gateway incident happened with our school students, we would call the parents, discuss the matter with them and find out how much involved the students were. If the child accepts his mistake and apologises as the Minister's son did, he should be exempted from punishment. A child is a child and we all make mistakes. One cannot be too harsh with children but correct them by advising them". An official from St.Bridget's Convent, speaks out- "The discipline in international schools is not enough. The students are to free to do what they want. Children need to be shown what's right and wrong. They need to be kept under some check. I feel international school students have too much freedom. The parents too should be more responsible. This particular incident happened in the night. The parents should keep a check on their children, know what they are upto and discipline them when necessary. There is a limit what a school can do. Parents are responsible as well". |
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