Dear Editor,
Recently there has been loud talk about violence in the schools, but nobody knows why children are becoming violent. All they know is that children are becoming violent.
The key to the problem is to draw up a list of the kinds of violence being done in front of and against the child. Once the list is long enough, the child will take note and settle down and become as peaceful as others.
Therefore I list below three common types of violence.The first type is the violence of miseducation. Many of the most elementary norms and rules taught to children are regularly and systematically undermined through miseducation.
The agents of miseducation are not insignificant proponents. Whereas teachers every day teach children to say “this”, “that” and “them” because they are mindful of their responsibility to teach standard English, English, the official language of this country, children very frequently hear important folks say “dis” “dat”, “dey” and “dem”.
The other day I came across the following:”…we would solicit the provision of those information… and…they have started supplying those information.” (Stabroek News, April 22, 2010).
The violence of miseducation is not confined to pronunciation and grammar and the examples can be multiplied, I pass over the realms of ethics and culture where, through miseducation much too much violence is done to too many children.
The second type of violence inheres in the sexualization of messages in the media, principally television. Over the years the telephone and beer companies in particular have been having the time of their lives. Unless they flaunt the body of a young woman on the screen they just cannot produce a first-rate commercial.
What they propagate on TV is reinforced by the mini buses, the mobile music vendors, the organizers of this pageant and that competition, in fact by any idiot who gets hold of a boom box.
Given the messages being poured out constantly and relentlessly about women and girls, what are children being taught? What is being violently done to their unconscious?
The third type of violence to which children are subjected stems from the sanctification of the dunce. The mere presence of the dunce in the educational system is an act of violence against the child. But, alas, the dunce is also consecrated.
About a year and a half ago I complained to the President about the perils posed by this.
When the list is drawn up, showing a genuine interest in addressing violence, when children see leadership by example before them, they will act accordingly. For even children can behave rationally, and leadership by example is a powerful method of teaching. At present it has gone violently missing from among us.
Finally, one cannot ignore the role of “civilized” Man, who, after all, presides over the social order and who, it would seem, once the wheels of globalization spin as furiously as possible, couldn’t care less about what happens to the beautiful children of this land.
Yours faithfully,
M. Gopal
