Learning starts at home

PARENTS must look after and manage their child well as they are the number one teachers.
In today’s norm, most parents tend to push this responsibility to teachers which is not right because teachers are there to educate them daily.
Parents who do not look after their child properly will be have a troublesome child.
One does not have to look far to see the breakdown in the behaviour of some of our children.
Take a look at the bus stops in the morning.
We see primary school kids smoking and chewing betel nuts.
And on Friday afternoon, you see them taking alcohol.
Many parents could not careless what their kids are doing.
Maybe we should jail parents whose under aged kids are doing that.
In Northern, the Oro government is considering third party liability for Teachers and Parents under the Summary Offences Act on betel nut where they (parents and teachers) will be held for negligence in their conduct resulting from school children chewing and spitting betel nut in public places.
Parents must take responsibility for most of the behavioural issues being reported on relating to our children.
Parents whose children walk to school, should also be conducting their own investigation and find out if their children are really in school.
You see them leave the house but are you sure they made it to school.
For some of these children, one can easily see the no-care attitude in their movement and especially in Port Moresby attending a school in Gerehu and yet laughing and taking their good old time at a bus-stop in Boroko around 7.30am.
In today’s society, applying tough penalties on students in some schools has seen more complications come out of it.
Any student found to be guilty of involving in any school fights or cult practices must be sent directly without bail to jail.
School fights is another issue that must be addressed.
Fights among groups of school students reflect a general lack of discipline and counselling among the children.
Add to those peer pressure and hormonal-driven adolescent conduct and you have situation which can be counter-productive and a hindrance to character development if not effectively harnessed early.
The behaviour is often seen in sports arenas, intra-school and inter-school functions.
Any student that is involved in such activities must be treated as criminals!
These students have to be treated now like adults because they choose to behave like adults – rogue and law-breaking adults.
They have chosen to ignore lawful instructions and advice and must be prepared to face the consequences. Period.
Tougher penalties should be applied in schools unfortunately, in today’s era, we students and parents are retaliating against teachers. And corporal punishment will not work.
Tactics that were applied in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s will not work in 2017 because society and attitudes have changed.
Corrective measures starts at home but what we are experiencing doesn’t speak much about it.
Existing laws need to be re-visited.
This now relays the message to teachers, parents and guardians that problems exists which if not nipped in the bud quickly can adversely affect the development of our young students.