00:00The former minister in the Education Ministry is pushing back against the Prime Minister's call
00:04for schools to send persistently disruptive students home.
00:08Dr. Lovell Francis says removing students from the classroom without addressing what is driving their behavior could deepen the problem.
00:17The debate over school discipline is continuing as the new academic year gets underway.
00:23Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Basasa has called for a zero-tolerance approach to persist on misbehavior,
00:28telling teachers that students who refuse to behave and whose parents ignore concerns should be sent home.
00:35Her position is that teachers should not have to tolerate abuse, intimidation and disruption at the expense of students who
00:43want to learn.
00:44But former minister in the Education Ministry, Dr. Lovell Francis, says the response cannot stop at removing the child.
00:53He said, quote,
00:54There are students in schools in Trinidad and Tobago who do not exemplify behavior conducive to receiving a sound education.
01:02We know this, end quote.
01:04He acknowledges that student indiscipline is a real problem but says its causes extend beyond the child.
01:11Francis points to parenting and the home environment but also says, quote,
01:15It is also directly tied to the institutional strength, effectiveness of staff and quality of leadership in schools they attend,
01:23end quote.
01:24He proposes a different approach, including more deliberate selection of school leaders for institutions struggling with discipline
01:31and additional training for secondary teachers in educational psychology.
01:36Francis also suggests giving government school boards greater authority similar to the structure used in denominational schools.
01:45But one of his strongest concerns is the potential impact of labeling children as the problem.
01:50He says, quote,
01:51What we absolutely should not do is further compound the existing problem by stigmatizing the students, end quote.
01:59He invokes the Pygamelian effect, also known as the self-fulfilling prophecy,
02:05arguing that the expectations of authority figures can influence children's behavior and performance.
02:11The concept stems from research by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson on teacher expectations.
02:18His position is that while discipline and accountability are necessary, students should not be written off.
02:25And his comments come as other education stakeholders have also questioned whether simply sending disruptive students home
02:32addresses the underlying causes of their behavior.
02:36The National Parent Teacher Association and TUTOR have raised concerns about the approach,
02:41with calls for stronger support services and intervention for students who repeatedly struggle with indiscipline.
02:47And the Prime Minister has since hit back at the criticism,
02:50arguing that parents, not the teachers or the state, have primary responsibility for their children's behavior.
02:57The Prime Minister says the solution to avoiding being sent home is straightforward.
03:01Students should behave responsibly, respect others and study diligently.
03:07Urvishita Maury, Ruknurain, TV6 News.
03:09Still to come in tonight's news, a fire alarm causes the shutdown of operations at the A&R Robinson International
03:16Airport in Tobago.
03:17We'll tell you more after the break.
