RECENT incidents — home and abroad — where the sanctuary of our children was disrupted, has to stop. When parents send their children to school, it is intended for them to get an education in a safe and secure environment with their attendant rights ensured.

News of another shooting, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida, United States of America (USA) has left 17 dead, others injured and hospitalised. The USA news outlets have described the incident as a massacre and one can only imagine the horror felt in the community, moreso those who suffered and have lost loved ones. The anguish on the faces of the affected resonate and is without borders as the question on everyone’s lips is probably, “aren’t our schools safe or sacred anymore?”

According to the World Health Organisation, violence is “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development or deprivation.”

At home, we too have had to deal with various instances of violence in the school environment.  While thankfully not at the scope being witnessed in the USA, no stone must be left unturned to stamp it out here. News that a taxi service operator was placed before a city magistrate for allegedly selling methamphetamine — known as ecstasy — to an underage student of Queen’s College constitutes violence. This is a case of adult/child power relation, and the dire consequences borne with being in possession of an illegal substance and what its usage will wrought. This incident must be fully investigated and wherever culpability exists, the full brunt of the law must be felt.

It is further said that the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit has discovered a drug ring in two city secondary schools. This is disturbing and highlights the dare by those who think such illicit practice must not only ensnare the young, but must infiltrate their sacred space.
There is more than enough distractions in the wider world, made more compound and complex with easy access to information, posing challenges to steer the young on a productive path that would lead to wholesome development as they grow older.

The recognition of this does not ignore that each generation of young can recount stories of pushing the proverbial button during their school life, but where such is now bordering on threats to life and health, it cannot be dismissed or be treated with kid gloves.
The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” is premised on wisdom. It requires an entire community, from diverse  backgrounds, to look out for and interact with our children to ensure that they grow in a safe environment. Children cannot raise themselves and rely on the protection and prodding of well-meaning adults.

This is a relationship that has to be fostered through mentorship, indigenous and national, where examples are set and teaching impart that will not only grant needed guidance of acceptable and un-acceptable conduct, but assurance that there is a shoulder to lean on in the time of need.

Children cannot parent themselves and there is a role for adults in their lives. This too should be thought in the home and respected in the wider society, even as there is education imparted — in both environments — to look out for those who seek to prey on them and violate their rights. The Parent /Teacher Association may appreciate the need for greater partnership in the child’s holistic welfare. Teachers should, too, be allowed to play a more meaningful role in guiding disciplinary action equally as recognition is given to the child consistent with the principles outlined in the Rights of the Child.

Ours is a history where the teacher held great influence in the child’s life and in the community. Older generations can recount anecdotes of childhood experiences should a teacher report any act to a parent considered contrary to good behaviour. It is no secret that teachers have expressed concerns of feeling they are losing their influence in the classroom, and some are even hesitant to reprimand and guide, consistent with what our culture considers acceptable, for fear of retaliatory behaviour by parent or child.  Similarly, teachers and adults have to be mindful of the adage that leadership by example still remains the most potent force to effect change and secure conformity.

Our children spend most of their waking hours and longest time in the calendar year in the school environment. School must not only be a place because of legal requirements, it must also be that of ensuring productive learning, interaction and safe sanctuary. Utmost in our thoughts must be the importance of preparing our children to explore a world that would equip them with the skills — education, life experiences and otherwise — to make them functional adults, ready to take the reins of leadership and contribute to making the world a better place.