Respect vital for discipline

Simon Marcus Gower, Jakarta

The yearly cycle for bookshops in the many and various shopping malls in and around Jakarta to feature the English words "Back to School" has recently past. Naturally these words were intended to attract the attention of parents as they prepared their children with the books and stationery they needed to return to school. But one wonders what those words meant to students that read them.

For some students those words might have raised expectations and even excitement at the prospect of returning to school. For others they might have been the signal of renewed feelings of boredom and general tedium as they are obliged to get back into the routine of school attendance. For them the prospect of going back to school offers little excitement. But for others still those words "Back to School" might have harbored foreboding and even fears.

It must be a quite grim concern that as many students have returned to school they have been subjected to practices that may well be looked upon as humiliating and doing little or nothing to engender a sense of respect and a positive sense of discipline.

For, most likely, far too many students the prospect and result of returning to school amounts to a series of events served up as a quite obnoxious concoction of disrespect and contempt for the individual.

In an age when education really ought to be focusing on developing the individual and enhancing the individual's sense of self-worth and place in society, it seems all the more offensive that returning to school is allowed, even encouraged, to become a series of senseless activities that, practically by design, undermine self-esteem and respect for others.

Some schools permit the spectacle of not only allowing seniors to psychologically offend and enter into antics little short of torture but also allow the platform for this humiliating behavior to be disrespect for the school uniform and thus, by extension, the school itself and the whole notion of respect for and discipline in schools.

For example, the blatant ridiculousness and irrefutable stupidity of allowing seniors to force juniors to wear their uniforms in a clown-like fashion cannot possibly be associated with thoughts of building respect and value for a school uniform. Yet, schools can be observed in which seniors have been allowed to force their juniors to roll one leg of their trousers up, take off their socks, have their shirts hanging half-in, half-out and hop around in a generally idiotic manner.

At a time when "formal" classes have not yet begun some schools allow their "welcome" to students to become a kind of hazing that openly disrespects the individual and seeks to force them into a "system" in a way that amounts to disturbingly offensive indoctrination.

Schools should think on these antics more carefully and in particular think of the possible and/ or likely psychological consequences of such behaviors. First days back at school should be positive and uplifting events that are sensitive to the fact that for some students returning to school can be a very uncertain and unsettling time.

It is not easy to see how positive and life enhancing experiences are being catered for when the general rule and role for both teachers and students is that of humiliation. Perhaps there are some sick sadistic pleasures being gained by those that are exercising the "authority" role in this pitiful set-up but, again, any real and legitimate value is scarce and far from constructive.

That word "constructive" should be central in not only first weeks of school but throughout the school year. Constructive encounters and experiences that build a sense of caring and sharing, mutual respect and a genuine sense of valuing discipline and working together in schools ought to be the order of the day for first and continuing days of school.

Mutual respect that acknowledges and engenders the rights of individuals should be placed at the top of school's agendas. This kind of respect should also exist without conditions. Respect is not merely expected or demanded on the basis of seniority or teacher-student control; respect is earned through giving and receiving. With this kind of mutual respect in place, discipline not only becomes more accessible but also more valid and lasting. That is, discipline is not a matter of forced obligation but a result of logical thinking.

Doubtless there will be some readers of this article that think to themselves and may say that there is nothing wrong with "fooling around" during first weeks of school. They might defend with expressions like "it's just a little fun, harmless really". That is too easy and, in fact, too dangerous. "Fooling around" in these ways can have a deep-seated impact and lead to damaging outcomes rather than positive growth.

In England one school allowed foolish activities during its first week of school. Older students were allowed to practically bully new students and teachers found humor in it (doubtless believing at the time that it was "just a little harmless fun"). But this first week of school had a deep impact on one student.

He held a grudge deep inside of him for what had happened and weeks later smashed the windows of teachers' cars with bricks and slashed their tires with a knife. He became a "discipline problem" and needed "psychological counseling and assistance". We must question -- whose fault was that? And should other schools run the risk of having similar things happen? Surely not!

The writer is Principal of Raffles International Christian School, Jakarta.