MORAL and ethical standards have indisputably been degraded in societies across the world which decimates essential human resources in societal workforces.

In Guyana, where political protesters engage in vile, illegal, violent and even criminal actions every so often, even encouraging their children to mimic and support the mayhem and environment of destruction and fear in the law-abiding populace that they cause, the youthful generation is faced with a quandary; because most of those involved are parents who are supposed to be role models for their children.

The lack of decorum and exemplary behaviour their parents intermittently display often leave them perplexed as to what paths to follow, when sometimes even teachers in their schools, where they are easily influenced by these voices of authority, get involved and expound incendiary political rhetoric.

So what is government’s recourse to inhibit and reverse the resultant explosion of juvenile delinquency in the land?

An autobiography, entitled “A Goodly Heritage” written by Elma Seymour, wife of A.J. Seymour, renowned Guyanese writer, details some customs and standards that once epitomised the normal standards and behaviour in the Guyanese society.

“… we all had to be very polite, well-mannered, and obedient; and no loose talking or [loose] jesting was allowed in our home,” she said.

The products of this system were decent, well-behaved, law-abiding adults, who believed in the basic principles of honour, respect for their fellow humans, and compassion for the less fortunate in society.

The system involved training in decorum, deportment, and good manners, with the requisite and necessary inputs to achieve equitable intellectual, social and physical development, which started from the home, and which was strategically supported by a strong network involving the education system and the community.

The headmistress of a primary school in Berbice who, from childhood, was an exemplary and studious child, who always aspired to, and achieved, academic heights, and who have received lucrative offers of employment in the entrepreneurial world, but who loves to teach and refuses to abandon her profession of choice, provided some insights. She balances her family life with her profession and, together with her husband, has brought up high-achieving, well-behaved children.

However, she related a story to this newspaper that underscored how far down the ladder we have descended in social behaviour from the days of Mrs. Elma Seymour.
She said that one day after school had been dismissed at 14:30hrs, she was conducting a staff meeting in a room adjacent to where some students were copying their homework, when she heard a commotion.

Upon investigation, she discovered that a parent had entered the classroom and slapped a child with whom her child had a dispute.

The headmistress contends that, irrespective of any consideration, no adult has a right to accost and/or assault any child in or out of the school premises. She says that if a parent has a complaint there is a procedure in place to address such issues, which has to be adhered to at all costs, because the consequences are very detrimental to both children and the morale and morals of the entire school population.

She is particularly concerned that education institutions are supposed to be protected environments for both students and teachers, but often members of the public just march into schools and assault both teachers and students at will.

She expressed her concern over the growing indiscipline in some students, whose behaviour is spiralling alarmingly out of control, with severe, negative impacts on security and the morale of teachers and the students who are genuinely trying to achieve goals within what is quickly becoming widespread lawlessness in school populations.

She contends that instead of a practice where families “pray together” in order to “stay together,” they instead drink together and fight together, and she thinks that the only solution to this rapid decay in the moral fabric of society is that a holistic approach be taken, as in the days of yore, where there is total involvement of societal sectors to upgrade and enhance social behavioural norms.

Adults in families are often to be blamed for the moral turpitude of the children under their care, and if inculcating false values into children is an instance of abuse, then many adults are guilty of both abuse and the misdemeanour that the children under their care commit.

However, she says teachers are constrained from punishing children because of widespread concern about abuse. According to her, discipline has to be left completely to the parents as teachers are allowed no latitude, despite the most provocative behaviour from trouble-making students, who even walk with weapons and threaten other students over trivial incidents.

Parents, on the other hand, can withhold privileges within the home environment, but without a simultaneous programme where the school is allowed some leeway, even with monitoring from officials from Education Departments, the problems of society will continue to deteriorate into ever-recurring violence.

The headmistress opined that a format of the Guyana National Service should be re-established in a more structured way, where children with severe disciplinary problems should be sent to obtain their education under paramilitary conditions, which may serve to restore their sense of social responsibility.