Respect vital for discipline

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.