The Realities of Educating our Children

After looking at the theatrics of Minister of Education the Honorable Patrick Faber in the House of Representatives this past Friday, the obvious conclusion is that he acted like a spoilt, petulant child who was upset because he could not have his own way vis-à-vis the abolition of corporal punishment in our country’s schools.  But Belizeans, especially teachers, should not be distracted by his act because his choice of words clearly demonstrated that he remains condescending, belittling, and vindictive as ever.

And what a performance it was from the prima donna, complete with crocodile tears.  Faber’s pride and ego were on full display as he seemed to believe that his word is somehow “God’s Word” and that he is somehow preordained to do as he wishes when it comes to matters that concern educating our children.  To make matters worse, the cries of the teachers, the very persons whose authority in the classroom will be undermined by the abolition of corporal punishment, just do not seem to matter to him.

On Friday, Faber had the opportunity to allay the fears of our teachers and embrace them as equal partners in the education process, but once again he demonstrated his inability to say the right thing when he cannot have his own way.  Instead of addressing the thousands of teachers from across the country who had gathered in Independence Plaza to ask that he hold off on the second and third readings of the bill that would abolition corporal punishment and asking for their assistance in searching for suitable alternatives, it seemed that he set out to purposefully antagonize them.

In his address to the House, he declared that “those teachers out there and those who have refused to see what we (himself and his sycophantic Ministry of Education technocrats who worship at his feet) are saying are guilty of two things:  one, they are playing the fool … or two, they are ignorant in the true sense of the word ignorant; they don’t know any better.”  My dear boy, your words were just plain nasty and clearly demonstrate that you are intolerant of constructive criticism.

But Faber and his technocrats seem to be out of touch with what teachers have to endure in the classroom daily.  And no dear boy; hitting the talk show circuit with your minions is not meaningful consultation with stakeholders.  Meanwhile they are so hell bent on removing corporal punishment that they have failed to suggest suitable alternatives and have left teachers at the mercy of those students whose behavior mirror the general disregard for law and order in society today.  No pedagogical training such as standing by the side of a disruptive student as the Minister suggests can prepare teachers to deal with the new reality in our classrooms.

Teachers at Southside Belize City primary and high schools can testify to the spectrum of behavioral problems manifested by students in our classrooms.  But if we were to listen to Faber and his minions we would believe that teachers only have to deal with talkative students.  Not so.  Teachers frequently have to deal with students fighting each other in classrooms just because they come from rival neighborhoods.  Teachers have to take away weapons such as knives and guns from students who carry them for their protection.  And let us not forget those enterprising students who peddle drugs such as marijuana and cocaine to their schoolmates.  No wonder that police officers are stationed at various Southside high schools.

All of us would agree that corporal punishment, especially the whipping of a child, should be a last resort when dealing with behavioral problems in a classroom, but it is the only deterrent for wayward children in our schools.  Surprisingly, many principals wrestle with the idea of imposing corporal punishment given the violent tendencies of some students and the overreaction of parents who are not above physically assaulting administrators and teachers whenever their children are disciplined at school.

But the timing and the haste of the abolition of corporal punishment is strange.  It seems that Faber and his government have an ulterior motive and we were told that it may have to do with international funding.  It seems that a United Nation’s organization that deals with the rights of a child has allocated a substantial amount of funds to the cash strapped Government of Belize for various social programs but it has refused to disburse any money until the so-called barbaric methods of corporal punishment are abolished from our schools.

The leaders of the BNTU should stand tough and fight Faber on the abolition of corporal punishment for if they yield to his whims, they may place many of their teachers’ not to mention those innocent students’ physical well being at risk.  Besides, the Minister is cocky not stupid.  He is unwilling to upset the main stakeholders of the education system because he is well aware that their union is very powerful politically and there is no evidence that it needs the assistance of anyone to make them more effective.  He got a preview of that power this past Friday, and he took notice.

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