WE have all been shocked recently by stories of students attacking teachers. In the latest shameful incident, a large group of students here in the Kingdom pounced upon several of their teachers, savagely beating them and putting one into an intensive care unit. Madinah Governor Prince Muqrin visited the injured teacher in the hospital and this was widely viewed — no doubt correctly — as support for those who work in the field of education. I have no intention of going into the details of the incident and while I approve of the punishment given to the wrong-doers, I would really like the issue to be studied thoroughly in the hope of gaining some new insights. Some think that the caning of students in public is a harsh sentence. I disagree and believe strongly that the fear of exposure and shame will act as a deterrent upon those who have even the remotest thought of committing such an act.
Times have changed. People have changed. While we were traditionally a paternalistic society with clear role models, the case today is different. A few decades ago when life was simpler and the family centered on its elders who in most cases were decent, law-abiding, compassionate members of the community, there were clear role models. In my own family, my grandfather or one of my great uncles played the roles. We younger members of the family emulated them and, in so doing, acquired their habits of decency, politeness and respect.
Today this is unfortunately no longer the case. Parents have become careless in front of their own children. Their behavior leaves much to be desired. There have been cases of parents storming into schools and abusing teachers in front of both staff and students. This erodes respect for the teacher in the eyes of students and also encourages others to behave in similar unacceptable way. At the same time that we expect parents to be role models, I think we should also look at teachers. The behavior of some teachers also leaves much to be desired. Many join the profession only for the salary. They are not interested in what they are supposed to be doing. They are not motivated. Often — through no fault of theirs — their work environment is depressing. There is no continuing education program for them so they can stay abreast of developments. There are no incentives to raise standards. All these combine to raise their level of frustration. Understandably then, many teachers — before the students — would like classes to end quickly so that they can return home.
Nor should we forget that there is a considerable number of students who can be described as “problem students.” They require special techniques and a different approach. Our teachers usually have no idea how to deal with them or meet their requirements. All these also combine to create a situation which results in a breakdown of communication. And when dialogue and communication break down, anarchy reigns.
Let us all therefore as parents, educators and students work on relearning the art of communication. And what better time to start than now?
