Hypocrite ostriches

The Editor, Sir:

It is quite appalling to find that there are so many ostriches in Jamaica! I am referring to the current situation with the teachers and the Government and with teaching in general.

There are persons in many quarters who have criticised the teachers in some rather crude and rude terms. I find that many of them are simply playing the hypocrite and jumping on a bandwagon. Many of them have apparently not heard about the many teachers who are beaten, kicked or 'cussed' out each day whether by students or parents. Unfortunately, many of these incidents are not reported, hence a picture that everything is honky dory is painted. They have simply buried their heads in the sand and playing a game of 'see no evil, hear no evil'.

I do believe that too many people are pretending as if many of our young people/children are innocent. Many of the behaviours displayed on the roads and in the buses are no different from those displayed in the classrooms and on school compounds. How can you teach a child who has not really come to school to learn, but to be disruptive, disrespectful and to mimic the worst behaviours in the wider society? Whether we like it or not the school is mirroring the society!

On the 'outside'

Those who are on the 'outside' need to realise that the purpose of school has changed and is changing. There are many students who see school as a social club. They take their cellular phones, laptops and their IPods and you see them on the compounds on their phones talking or listening to their music. They have all these things and yet they come to school without the requisite materials. There are many students who come to school without a common pen or books, yet if there is a jeans day or a fete, these are the same students who come dressed in new clothes from head to toe. Where are the priorities?

If it were up to me, I would not be demonstrating for what was promised, but demonstrate against the high level of disrespect being meted out to teachers, the high level of violence against teachers and the innocent students, and demonstrate against those students who come to school, waste their time and their parents' money, and in the end, when they do not achieve what is expected, teachers are said to not have taught.

I am, etc.,

CONCERNED TEACHER

Linstead, St Catherine