THE political opportunists in the land do not care how destructive their stratagems are when they are lobbying against the Government, and it is to their shame that they have no remorse in using the nation’s children in advancing their self-serving agendas. There are systems and processes in place to address problems in the education sector.  However, students are currently being encouraged to participate in a lawless culture of taking to the streets and shutting down schools, by no less than their own parents, at the behest of politicians, without attempting recourse to the proper processes to make determinations and addressing problematic issues.
This confrontational attitude overspills into their adult lives where they do not recourse to peaceful conflict-resolution, often with dire and even tragic consequences.
Teachers, who are supposed to be role models, most often exhibit appalling anti-social and abhorrent tendencies and are oftentimes themselves devoid of the etiquette necessary to frame civilized behaviour.
This is the sad reality at President’s College, over which the PNC considers they have jurisdictional rights, with some of their supporters on the staff consistently creating situations of discontent and contention without any attempt to allow management to direct the policies and programmes, and address the issues without vitriolic interference.
But President’s College is serving the purpose for which it is intended, and any unprejudiced analysis of the school and its functions would testify to this.  Granted, everything is not perfect.  There are problems; but even homes have problems.  However, no institution that is subject to political strife can be run to optimum capacity and achieve to its maximum potential.
President’s College is a home-away-from-home with warm-hearted, caring houseparents who are very loyal to the institution that they serve, and very loving to their charges.  They ensure that the children’s welfare is placed paramount; and while they maintain discipline, they expend affection in equal measure.

The institution that is being depicted as a horror-house in some sections of the media is instead a place of great happiness, which provides the children the requisite environment to enhance their overall development as good human beings above all, as well as the premier scholars that they are.

A while ago, Chronicle spoke to housefather, Mr. John Forde, who was incensed when he spoke about the false stories that he continually sees in the local media about the institution that he serves and loves.  At that time there had been stories that the school was without potable water, but Mr. Forde had pointed out the trestles with tanks for every story in the dorm and the man responsible for maintenance in the facility, who was in the process of pumping water to refill the tanks.  He provided the assurance that the pump attendant ensures that every area is provided with water.

Mrs Shurcina Hope-Hinds, the Administrator of House Services and Student Welfare, endorsed what Mr. Forde said.

She said that, like any building or institution, even private homes, there is some wear and tear over the years, in some locations more than in others, but that there is always an attempt to rectify these whenever they occur, except that in some instances bureaucracy may delay the process somewhat.

While admitting that, as in any educational institution – even homes, that houses and educates adolescents, there are problem areas, but she is convinced that there could be problem-resolution without making the children suffer and traumatizing them when they most need support – which is the time when they are writing examinations.  She feels that the children’s needs should take priority over any other consideration.
She said that , like in every home with siblings, they would tease each other, but that the loyalty, camaraderie and affection between batchmates were very strong, and that the love and shared experiences in President’s College, more than in any institution, is bridging the racial and other divides beautifully because, while children are encouraged to celebrate their different cultures and religions, they all share in each other’s celebrations and have learnt to respect each other for the individual person that each one is, and to bond accordingly, with lifelong and enduring friendships forged between students hailing from one end of the country to another.

Even the sexually venturesome proclivity of the adolescent and other adventurism into unacceptable behaviour is handled with sensitivity.  She was adamant that no situation is allowed to develop to the extent where there is a possibility of crossing acceptable lines of behaviour, except in rare instances where such behaviour is undetectable for short periods before interception and correction.
She said that, even if in fondness a male classmate puts his arm around the shoulder of a female classmate, they are discouraged from so doing by the houseparents, because, although the students protest that they mean nothing by such actions, the adults are aware  of the volatility of the situation, whereby an innocent act, if left unchallenged, can lead to greater liberties being taken, and houseparents are stringent in their supervision to avoid such situations from developing; so the children are aware of the limits placed on their interaction with each other and adhere to the imposed sanctions, while still building and maintaining great friendships.

According to the primary house administrator, there is a time-tabled schedule where the younger students are counselled by the counselling faculty and warned of the consequences of indulging in actions that are not conducive to an acceptable school environment.

The older children are encouraged to seek readily available advice from the counselling department based upon their own individual needs and unique situations.

A nurse-medex lives in the facility to provide emergency treatment for minor illnesses, or to make referrals in the instances of major ones.

How do they cope with indiscipline?  According to Mrs. Hope-Hinds, while there are rare incidents of recalcitrance by newcomers, these are soon smoothed out by the gradual integration process as the new students absorb the hallmarks of behavioural paradigms practised by the older students.

The occasional, mild infractions of the rules are punished by the culprit having to tidy up the dormitory – a chore all the students share in equal measure.  Mrs. Hope-Hinds says that, even when the students occasionally make her angry, she ends up laughing at their convoluted explanations for their misdemeanours, even while she reprimands and admonishes them from repeating the action, which always elicits repentance and over-exaggerated promises of future saintly behaviour. She said that, though there is down-sizing, the children have adequate supervision and are not shortchanged in their care in any way.

Children are encouraged to pray as per the customs of their individual religions before beginning the day’s activities, and then they make up their beds, have breakfast, then set off for their respective classrooms.

The political opportunists are, however, attempting to re-shape perception of this paradigm, as is their wont, without caring that the children would be negatively impacted from the contentious confrontations imposed on the school’s administration by persons who are grinding their axes on opportunistic prognostications and accusations, while ostensibly advancing the cause of the very persons whom they are hurting the most.