UPDATE: Teachers want draft policy on discipline discussed with them & PTA
“I was more than pleased to learn that they are working on a policy. The minister needs to be in a better position as opposed to flip-flopping as it is called in the media,” said a teacher of the ESHS. She further stated that while the Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn is a rooky in his position, taking on broad ideas and recommendations from grass-root teachers could have served him better.
“So many things are ‘cass cass’ in the department of education,” alleged another teacher. “So before they overlook this aspect of it we want to send the message out via the media, because they don’t listen to us directly, that we as teachers should have a say in the policy I heard he (Minister) made mention of in the House of Assembly the other day. And parents too, to a large extent, must be involved,” the teacher added.
Teachers said they are convinced that the decision to work on a policy was a suggestion they had made recently to the minister as they were dealing with issues of the indiscipline children at ESHS.
“The idea came from us but as usual we would not get any credit for that, and we are not looking for credit, we are looking for measures to be put in place by law and policy that is workable, real and modern,” one teacher told Virgin Islands News Online in an exclusive interview.
Meanwhile, most teachers indicated they were not aware of a policy to guide discipline in school until it was briefly mentioned in the House of Assembly on December 17, 2013 by Hon. Walwyn.
See previous story published on December 19, 2013:
'Suspension should be the final straw'- Hon. Walwyn
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Recently, disciplinary matters at the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS)have sparked quiet a debate among residents but what was most noticeable was that the issues had apparently caught the Education authorities loafing and had seen Minister for Education and Culture Hon. Myron V. Walwyn flip flopping when there was need for quick, decisive and firm decision making, particularly on matters of expulsions.
On Tuesday December 17, 2013 when leaders of the Territory sat in the third sitting of the third session of the second House of Assembly, Member for the First District Honourable Andrew A. Fahie could not let the matter go untouched.
He had put the matter of policy for suspensions to the Hon. Minister for Education. “Madam Speaker, seeing that we all seek to implement what is best for our education system in order to maintain a high standard in education especially in the area of discipline, could the Honourable Minister for Education please inform this Honourable House if it is now a policy of the Ministry and Department of Education that the suspension of a student by school authorities during examination time, no matter the offence by the student, is now totally forbidden?”
Hon. Walwyn told the House that it took parents complaining to his ministry and officers about students being suspended even while they had examinations to sit. “…too often suspensions also serve as a quick fix for students' disciplinary problems…,” he said.
After a bundle of explanations as to the possible likely effects of suspending a child from school, Hon. Walwyn said “Madam Speaker, I ask that the members of the Honourable House that they understand that I am not advocating that students not be suspended from school at all. I am, however, advocating that after all the possible appropriate forms of punishment have been exhausted suspension should be the final straw.”
Bothering the minds of many teachers and other administrative staff of the ESHS was the following statement by the Honourable Minister, “…and for only extreme infractions and misconduct as indicated in the Education Act …..”
Extreme infractions, according to concerned persons, should cater for ‘expulsion’, a word which was not used by the Honourable Minister on this occasion. He said he has made it quite clear that no student should be suspended during examination periods.
In seeking clarifications to Hon. Walwyn's position, Hon. Fahie was told that suspensions were be allowed in extreme cases. “Let’s say if a student brings a knife to school, that’s a serious matter, in such a case suspension for whatever period would be acceptable.”
He said the policy is to be fine tuned and submitted to him before the commencement of the Lent term.
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22 Responses to “UPDATE: Teachers want draft policy on discipline discussed with them & PTA”
It’s sad this policy is guided by how much votes one can get from deeds rude children parents...Little does one know the well behave students parents are a majority…it has been created in our education system a culture of disrespect just like what has been created legislative council. can’t wait to vote them out
obviously m...n is not the answer
It can be adjacent to the campus. It is just that these students will not interact with the general population
Disruptive, illiterate, rude and obnoxious children are a nuisance to teachers and classmates who want to learn. The delinquents should not be suspended during exam time you say but, the well-behaved students should not be subjected to an environment unconducive to learning that these "scholars" create on a regular basis.
In addition, we have students who are battling mental issues. Adults with mental issues were once children with mental problems.
Let Myron teach a class for two months.
Boss...u @$$ is grass nex election
M*W is the single biggest disaster to hit the BVI, except for the period of the visionary leader and statesman Paul Wattley.
Teaching will become a nightmare job under...... Our school will become war zones. Help! Help!
Hon. Walwyn needs to tell parents to discipline their children or face the consequences, as I'm sure that once they turn 18 the courts will not be as accommodating as the minister.
Education isn't an expense, it is an investment we must make.