President of the T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA), Davanand Sinanan, is blaming parenting for the current “dysfunctional and anti-social” behaviour displayed by the nation’s students.
He made the comment while speaking to media during a tour of the Chaguanas North Secondary School yesterday.
The tour party included Minister of Education Anthony Garcia and Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon.
Sinanan’s comments followed reports of a planned gun attack at the school last Friday which forced the principal to dimiss classes early.
He said: “We must educate the national community and people.
“A major part of the problem is parents are not parenting the way they ought to and the dysfunctional and anti-social behaviour that many of the students are displaying is a result of their socialisation and a result and reflection of the communities from which they come.”
Sinanan also gave the assurance that TTUTA was doing all it could to help alleviate the issue of security at schools.
“TTUTA is continuing to do all that it can to ensure teachers can come and teach in a safe and secure environment and that the students can also feel safe and secure.
“I empathise with their plight. I can identify with some of the concerns they have expressed as an educator,” he said.
Sinanan also confirmed yesterday that they had received a report of a student assaulting a teacher at the Diego Martin North Secondary school. However, he said he was still awaiting more information on the incident.
Also speaking during the tour, president of the National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA) Zena Ramatali renewed the call for more involved parents.
She recommended instituting legislation that would allow parents time off from their jobs to speak with school officials. She also recommended the development of trauma centres and specialist teachers.
“We want to see the schools looking into a curriculum that speaks to the heart. We want to see peer mediation, community mediation, conflict resolution and anger management because many of these students are angry.”