Has the value of discipline decreased? Is the teaching of discipline just a waste of time?
This morning a story broke about a fatal stabbing of a Grade 11 pupil in a bus. The murder weapon was a pair of scissors.
Never mind about the argument that resulted in this tragedy but rather look at this: whatever it was about, could there not have been an alternative to solve this problem?
At the “former Model-C” school I attended (in Cape Town), our principal and teachers strived for impeccable behaviour. There was a no-nonsense attitude you had to be aware of just before you started your first day of Grade 8 and it was there throughout your high school career. Parents were also aware of this attitude (which is really the main reason why parents enrol their children at this school) so as to encourage them to keep this up at home.
What has happened to disciplining children? What has happened to being the parent? Even if there are no parents, there should be a person (or people) taking an authoritative role in the child’s life. How else will that child learn what’s right from what’s wrong?
These days, kids are born adults and there is no end in explaining how wrong that is.
Basically my whole family (on my dad’s side) is or were in the education industry and judging from their experiences and listening to their complaints, it’s not just the lack of authority from the parents that’s the problem. The other problem is that children these days have lots of rights. Lay a hand on a pupil and they open a case of child abuse against you.
Please note, I finished Matric 5 years ago so I had those rights too but what for? I’m a child. I’m still (while in high school) transitioning into adulthood.
This lack of parental authority while they are children is just a recipe for disaster. They are so used to taking charge and dictating without consequence, they reach college and destroy property, hurt one another and even lecturers to make their point. Is that all necessary?
Some parents should not lose their parental focus – schools as well. Parents send their children to school leaving and trusting them in the capable (hopefully capable) hands of teachers and principals.
You can’t always keep an eye on your children but you can from a young age teach them responsibility and guide them in making good decisions for especially when you are not there.
It is truly unfortunate what happened on that bus yesterday. To try and prevent such tragedies and events similar to this from happening again, we should look into taking back the authority from the young ones.
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