Students must keep hands off teachers

THE EDITOR: I followed the TV replay of the joint select committee session on school violence and found the discussions very revealing. I noted several issues on which I hope to comment in subsequent letters.

However, the statement that I found most revealing was made by the NPTA first vice president, Clarence Lezama, who lamented that he had not heard about a dress code for female teachers, maintaining that provocative dress led to these teachers being touched inappropriately by male students. They often had to seek refuge in the staff room when they were supposed to be teaching.

But I must ask Lezama to indicate where to draw the line, because research reported in 2017 on Healthyway.com by Mary Sauer indicated there are other more significant female attributes that provoke male sexual attraction. One of these is her scent.

Pheromones are known to be involved in sexual attraction in animals, and research suggests that they may also play a role for people. Lezama might want to make an odour-masking deodorant agent mandatory for female teachers.

Healthy shiny hair was found to enhance female attractiveness. Are we going to make hats and head scarves compulsory? Likewise, a happy smile with white teeth has been found to be particularly appealing to men.

According to Lezama’s reasoning, all female teachers should wear a frown to ward off male attention. What about those female teachers with ample bumpers, are they supposed to receive liposuction prior to appointment?

As an NPTA executive member, Lezama should understand that discipline means voluntary compliance with societal norms, rues and expectations. Male students must understand that women are to be respected and not touched inappropriately regardless of their dress, scent, figure, smile and shiny hair. Males must be socialised in the understanding that they might see, but must never touch.

Rather than imposing a rigid dress code on women, stipulating sleeve length, depth of plunge, hem lines and the like, males should be taught in schools that decency requires them to keep their hands away from female teachers, particularly those whom they consider attractive.

Perhaps it is neglect of this topic in the curriculum that led to the present scourge of female abuse in TT.

DAVID SUBRAN

via e-mail