Trinidad Guardian
Wednesday 24th Janurary, 2007
clevon_raphael@hotmail.com
An unholy affairWhat manner of children would willingly engage in this sordid business and have it filmed without any attempt to hide their identities?
I am more than anxiously awaiting the release of the much touted Ministry of Education’s position on the use of cell phones in the nation’s schools.
In the midst of all the sordid scandals involving the use of these instruments at educational institutions, it was announced that the document would be released this week.
At the time of writing it has not been done but hopefully the ministry would honour its promise and do what it has to do, even though it is a long time coming.
Although it is gratifying that at last the ministry, and by implication Minister Hazel Manning, has decided to make its stance known, the situation is not a pleasant one.
Last week, I had the unfortunate and sickening opportunity to view one of the images of live sex on the cell phone involving a boy and a girl from a secondary school along the East/ West corridor.
That image has in no small measure brought home the dire straits the country is in, in this instance from a morality point of view. One can also say we are suffering from a values crisis.
Can you imagine this pair, in uniform if you please, engaging in unbridled sex in a room at a school clearly identified by the colour of the paint on the walls?
What manner of children would willingly engage in this sordid business and have it filmed without any attempt to hide their identities?
Who do you blame for this grave act of depravity by these young people? Their parents? Their teachers? Their peers? The education system?
I know some may not agree with me when I say all the above are to share in the shame that has befallen that section of our education system.
The parents have failed to properly discharge their parental responsibilities, which include instilling in their children proper values.
The fact that two students could think it is cool to perform such acts of immorality at their school, instead of “beating” books, speaks volumes about their sense of self-esteem or lack of it.
To accuse the school teachers of failing to institute a sense of decency as opposed to indecency, where quite logically that virtue should be instilled at home, is not as far-fetched as it might seem.
Children spend a great deal of time at school, which has long been recognised as an institution where children are prepared not only to pass exams.
It is looked upon as a place where parents’ responsibilities are complemented. And the teacher should be viewed as an exemplar upon whom the child looks for guidance, especially when they are not getting the proper inspiration at home.
Unfortunately, there are teachers who would turn a blind eye or actually encourage their charges—especially young females—in grievous acts of indiscipline and other behaviour not conducive to becoming model citizens in their adult lives.
It is also well established that students engage in delinquent behaviour through peer pressure and a child coming from an unstable home could be easily influenced by their truant colleagues who are in fact predators of the worst kind.
I recall making a public appeal to Mrs Manning some months ago to act with haste on dealing with this cell phone issue. I couldn’t see what was the big problem in laying down the guidelines for their use on the school compound.
At that time I was only hearing about the sex escapades and although not doubting the truthfulness of the reports, I was hoping that they were exaggerated.
But having seen the images I felt a deep sense of outrage because while the ministry was dragging its feet on coming up with the policy, these errant children were having a ball in pushing their grossly immoral version of “sex education” in the school rooms.
Also last week, I was given a shocker by a very reliable source who told me about another dangerous use these phones are being used for.
Apart from using them on the wrong side of “sex education,” children are now filming beatings of fellow students.
Last week two students were rushed to hospital after being severely beaten—a cutlass was used in one incident—with all of this being captured on camera cell phones.
“Cuta--- Number One” was how one of these “productions” was labelled.
Can somebody really tell us what the hell is going on in this blessed—some may say cursed—land of ours? Students beating students and having the temerity to film the whole gory episiode and circulating them.
They are behaving just like their adult comrades—bandits who are terrorising us because they know they can get away with it.
If anyone believes I take pleasure in writing this they are sadly mistaken. I am doing it to force the powers that be, if they are aware of it, to stop pussyfooting with the future of our beloved land by refusing to take the tough decisions necessary to halt the absolute nonsense that is being allowed to poison the education system.
As I said, I am eagerly awaiting the release of this policy document before going further.
More on this next week—if it is released as promised.