By Sue-Ann Wayow
PARENTS, please instil good behaviour in your children from home.
This is the appeal from Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly as the Ministry of Education gets prepared for the new school term.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Dr Gadsby-Dolly said to parents, “Uphold the standard of behaviour in our homes. The incubator for school indiscipline is the home. If our children are clear that we will not stand for certain types of behaviours at home, then they will be less inclined to do them in our schools.”
She said schools were places of learning and safety and the good behaviours learnt in schools could also be replicated at home.
With the opening of physical school in April after almost two years, there were several incidents in school violence, many occurring after school on the streets and being recorded and shared on social media.
The Ministry of Education’s Chief Education Officer Dr Peter Smith said that the community police have been monitoring 17 schools along with the ministry to keep violence at bay and the recommendation for the Revised National School Discipline Matrix was currently before the Cabinet.
Dr Gadsby-Dolly said there will be a continued collaboration with community police.
She also said for this academic year, competitions will be planned for secondary and primary school with focus on agriculture, environment and visual and performing arts for the academic year.
The minister thanked all stakeholders who met throughout the holidays, corporate citizens who stepped up to the “Adopt-A-School” programme, the ministry’s staff, parents and pupils for their patience and perseverance during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Gadsby-Dolly said when school begins on September 5, there will be 305,000 persons to start classes with over 30,100 teachers providing instructions.
