ON Tuesday last I read with satisfaction an article captioned “Strong disciplinary action will be taken against teachers who smoke in school”. While I applaud the Honourable Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh’s efforts to rid our schools of such unhealthy and misguided practices, I would wish that other privately owned learning institutions take note and follow suit.

This nation’s children are the future and they need our guidance. While the issue of smoking can be considered a moral rather than a legal subject, it is up to us as adults to set the example for our children- be it at home, in public places or in their environment of learning. We all need to allow them the freedom to grow and to develop in a smoke free environment.

It is the responsibility of teachers, as Educators, to see to it that our children are nurtured in an environment where they are protected from the many evils of society. Teachers should be role models. After all, they are part of the plan to mould and shape our children’s minds to allow them to become respectable and responsible individuals in society.

In saying this, thank you Honourable Minister Shaik Baksh, for reinforcing the rules in the education sector and for demanding from our educators a higher level of teaching.