I suspect that many of us often wonder how it is that social ills exist, and sometimes seem to be on the rise, in Anguilla when social media chatter suggests that persons are so averse to such ills. Might it be that many of us are hypocrites? Is it that many of us say one thing and practice another?
Whatever the reason, we need to quickly and thoroughly revisit many of our attitudes, habits, practices and policies. A good place for this review to begin is in our homes and schools. What values are we promoting in our homes and schools? Often a conflict exists between what we say we want to instill in our children and our actual practices.
The ideal would be for our schools to focus on instilling certain positive characteristics in our children, by ensuring that they develop and maintain acceptable social relationships with their peers. While it is understood that programmes designed to promote such relationships are expected of those who are charged with responsible positions in our Education System, sadly these efforts often appear to be lost in the focus on preventative methods. I suspect their time would be better served if they focused instead on facilitating occasions for a greater understanding of acceptable social relationships and the development of social skills.
I understand that our children are subjected to daily searches as they enter their place of learning. Boys are required to lift their pants (both legs) so that the colour of both socks can be ascertained before being allowed entry. Children are relieved of certain writing implements for fear that they will use them to deface the school walls rather than using them for a legitimate purpose. Boys are subjected to the length of their hair being measured with a ruler, to determine whether it meets school requirements.
What are the potential psychological impacts of subjecting our children to these processes? Do they advance the overall objective of preparing our young men and women to be productive citizens? I have my doubts. Our schools’ policies in relation to the hairstyles boys are allowed to wear in school seems outdated, and at odds with what is allowed in what has often been viewed as premier jobs in the private and public sectors. Have we had a real look at the hairstyles worn by many males in the Banking, Hospitality and Public Sectors? They are certainly not required to wear their hair at a length that does not exceed 1 inch in length. The only requirements seem to be that they are well groomed.
It appears that in at least one primary school boys will be required to wear ties. One school of thought, which seeks to justify this new practice, is that it will instill certain positive habits in students. I consider this to be a fallacy, which is likely to promote the view that certain conduct is expected of persons who dress a certain way, while another standard of conduct is expected of, and acceptable from, persons who dress otherwise. Subjecting our young students to daily discomfort is not the way to ensure that they develop good social practices.
We often claim that our students are increasingly unable to comprehend, analyse and apply. Is it likely that this is, at least partly, as a result of the implementation of rules for which no meaningful explanation can be offered? Asking our children to blindly follow rules for which no acceptable reason can be offered, conditions them to do the same as adults. Those who simply rebel against the rules, when no reasonable explanation can be offered for their existence, are likely to be conditioned to do the same as adults. Rather than engaging in a responsible manner to secure changes in policies, these same persons are likely in their adulthood to find it more convenient to simply violate the policies. If we really want the best for our children, conscious effort must go into the likely long-term consequences of the policies or rules we institute and police in our schools.
A starting point can be to simply consider whether the time invested in policing some of the school rules can be better utilised instilling positive social values in our children, or promoting the basic learning skills required to assist them in navigating the many challenges of childhood and adulthood. Let’s stop engaging in activities that seem to serve only to empower adults, while doing little or nothing to promote the long-term wellbeing of our children. Let’s instead refocus our energies and develop and promote policies and programmes that will undoubtedly promote the social wellbeing of our children and, by extension, of our Angullian community.
