Gadsby-Dolly’s courage, risk

BEFORE I get into this school violence horror, I wish to commend Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadija Ameen and Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John for their active, on-the-spot action in bringing some relief to the vulnerable flooding areas. Backed up by Social Development Minister Vandana Mohit, councillors and Defence Force personnel, the government’s response was welcomed by those affected.

Two weeks ago, at a PNM meeting at Angel Harps Panyard, Arima, former minister of education Nyan Gadsby-Dolly took courage and a risk in “educating” her PNM audience where a large amount of school delinquency and violence came from, and referencing Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s toughened “zero-tolerance" proposals.

Dressed in bright red and with firm voice she declared: “Who do you see on this list? Generally, who are the young people? And I am saying to you as (former) minister of education, many of the files crossing my desk, many of these children have PNM mothers, PNM grand-mothers, PNM fathers.” That took courage to say, whatever else she said about educational inequity,

Pointing to her PNM members, she boldly added: “I am saying to you as a party, we have to enter the fight to help them and as a Women’s League we have a role to play in helping our PNM mothers, parents. We have a role to play when they need help.”

It was a very misguided view to say in this that Ms Gadsby-Dolly “politicised” the issue of school violence. Rather, she was advocating a household remedy where, in her view, one was sorely needed.

Look, you may talk about school, church, counsellors, therapy, restorative justice, etc, the first stop for responsibility are the parents who made the children and who, as life has it, have their own problems – which is what Ms Gadsby-Dolly was trying to point out. Her flag-ship declaration should now be used to push the momentum beyond “PNM mothers and fathers.”

School violence and bullying, reported and unreported, have gone so far and wide, that the advice for increased family responsibility should be seriously taken up by the many women and single-father groups, church groups, teachers, parent-teachers associations across the country.

Given the school as an open-space institution, it is either empowered or limited by what it receives from the society. All schools experience delinquency and violence reported or unreported, whether in small or large amounts. It should be punished but it will never end. As unpalatable as it may sound, the best we may hope for is how far it can be prevented or reduced. This is the challenge for schools all around the world – middle class or working class.

Promising to “get rid of delinquency and school violence” is a political illusion. Check the evidence here since 1974, especially in our dual system of education. It is more practical and realistic for a government to explain to the public the limitations – eg parental and political – and set a benchmark on school delinquency and violence after consultation with teachers, parents and students themselves. With this written school contract, the “zero-tolerance” policy could still be maintained.

Minister of Education Dr Michael Dowlath dutifully calling for a “probe” into the violence committed on a student by five students around Holy Faith Convent Couva, said: “The ministry unequivocally condemns all forms of violence within the school environment. Such behaviour will not be tolerated in any circumstances.”

Dr Dowlath, as a former principal, knows such “condemnation” was frequently made before.

Something new must be done now. Given the long history of school delinquency and violence and the abundance of healing recommendations already in the hands of the ministry, Dr Dowlath, would find it very helpful to have an early meeting with previous minister Gadsby-Dolly and the very knowledgeable former minister of education, Ms Hazel Manning. PM Persad-Bissessar was also a minister of education.

Ms Gadsby-Dolly would explain her ministry’s extensive anti-school violence programmes, disciplinary matrices, suspensions, the Military-Led Academic Training Programme (Milat) experience, etc, and, in particular for Dr Dowlath’s benefit, what the limitations were. The affable Ms Manning would helpfully recall her rolling plans – the very large package of evidence-based policy proposals and actionable anti- delinquency and violence recommendations she had, so at least, in some parts, the wheel would not be re-invented.

For his government and ministry, Dr Dowlath will benefit from this collective intelligence and past experience on a complex matter. It is time to move away from trying to find overnight solutions. This is a national problem requiring a national response as far as practical and to help build public confidence in the education system. Five years is a short time in politics.