We need to focus more on keeping our children, youth in check

GLOBAL behavioural changes in today’s generation of youths are profound.
XY generation encompasses young people who have different attitudes, different characters, different principles and different priorities.
These have significant potential to define a society’s threshold measurement in its management of its social control systems.
In developed countries with well-developed economies, the dynamics of this generation are comfortably embraced and managed.
Not so in PNG.
Our youths who are out of school will gradually adapt to accepting and respecting our society’s social control systems and authorities.
Our kids in school, however, live within school compounds and away from the realities of society.
Schools differ from each other in ways phenomenal to each other based, not on the dynamics of the curriculum taught, rather, on the indoctrination that is disseminated and imparted to and exerted on the kids.
The level of dispensation of these regulations and information on the kids is fundamental to their behaviour in and out of school bounds.
School administrators who are charged with this responsibility need to exert power and authority.
If this is not enforced, the school administrations must be pressured to do so.
Many teachers are already mingling with the students, compromising their positions and indirectly encouraging buai chewing, smoking and drug use.
Students are susceptible to change and environments.
When too restricted and restrained or too loosely contained in that phase of their development, they indulge themselves in any activity, legal or otherwise.
When this happens, they will undermine and will have no respect for authorities like the police, school administrations, government officials and even parents.
School administrations must therefore redefine the balance between restriction and convenience.
Students must be taught the significance of authority and the consequences of non-submission to authority.
Parents and citizens must be vigilant and ready to subdue and suppress any uprising at the first sign, both in and outside of school.
Our police must not be used and not be expected to clean up for the parents.
Parents and members of the public must recognise and assume full responsibility for shortfalls in the discipline of the students.
The influence of the development we are going through is trickling right down to the family unit resulting in moral breakdown in family values and discipline.
Access to technological advancements like mobile phones with social media apps at the fingertip are a culture shock across the population.
School cults and generation extra-curricular activities are derived from these contributing factors and becoming a resultant norm across all levels of schools.
A minor threat to their self or identity can trigger the behavioural sparks within to implode, resulting in fights between schools which often spill onto the public domain.
Our police officers have been delicately handling such situations across the country because they know the precarious position of students.
Our authorities have also amicably resolved confrontations.
To suggest the reintroduction of capital punishment in schools or for police to exert excessive force to address the phenomenon would not be legally wrong, but principally devoid of consideration of societal implications in the context of this generation.
I believe that the emphasis on family discipline and educational emphasis in recognition and respect for authority will, over time, have a detrimental effect on this behavioural syndrome in our kids, to the benefit and advantage of our education system and society at large.
 
Alois Balar,
Baining Mountains