I wrote about discipline after reading about the misbehaviour of the students in state colleges. I was told about their shocking behaviour in class, especially towards lady teachers. Then I experienced it personally while working in a boys’ state secondary school (SSS) where I was able to see the difference between a private secondary school where I had been teaching for years and a SSS. “It” is the acute lack of discipline in SSS, especially where boys are concerned.

The indiscipline prevailing in many boys’ SSS is a matter of grave concern and a direct threat to our society. It is a spoke in the wheel of our education system. I don’t say that there is no indiscipline in private secondary schools. But it is more or less under control compared to the situation in some SSS.

A school devoid of discipline is like a ship without a rudder. It drifts from its intended direction with the result that the school system itself is wrecked. Discipline is the foundation of performance and success. It is the sine qua non for the smooth running of classes and the school in general. In the absence of tight discipline, anarchy prevails and students are under the impression that they can do whatever they want. Consequently it is their education which is on the wane.

When there is a lack of discipline at school, the academic performance of the institution carries the can. In the absence of discipline, the teacher’s enthusiasm is completely dented. And it is understandable as teaching depends heavily on class cooperation. Without the undivided cooperation of the students, teaching becomes a veritable uphill task.

The interaction between teaching and learning is indispensable for the smooth running of the class. When students evince their enthusiasm for learning, it compels teaching and spurs the teacher on to his/her work. When students behave themselves, it paves the way to teaching and learning. And, in the absence of reliable discipline, there is no class cooperation. The students’ disinterest in their studies kills teacher enthusiasm.

On the other hand, discipline generates class cooperation and fosters students’ respect for their teacher. It lies with the students to assist the teacher to assist them, otherwise the indisciplined atmosphere in the class will prevent teaching and the teacher will just be looking forward to the bell ringing to leave the class. As teaching cannot be carried out in an atmosphere of indiscipline, the teacher resorts more to class control than teaching to avoid getting himself into hot water with the management. So discipline in class is a sine qua non for teaching and learning. It is a win-win situation for the teacher and learners.

Indiscipline at school hampers teaching and learning and lowers school performance. Besides it deters would-be teachers from carving out a career in that field because teaching is not a picnic with unruly students. Today, in Europe, teaching is no longer looked upon as a glittering job because of too much indiscipline and violence at school. England is even looking overseas for teaching recruitment.

<B>Iron discipline</B>

Discipline can be and has to be maintained at school. If indiscipline prevails in some boys’ SSS, it is because of the laissez-faire and laxity of management. Today teaching in these boys’ SSS has become a real drudgery, especially for lady teachers because of the unruly behaviour of the students. Here the blame should be laid roundly at the door of those managing these schools. Through a lack of disciplinary measures, they have allowed indiscipline to pervade these institutions.

When the boys first crossed the thresholds of these secondary schools, they were not vandals or hooligans. They were tractable and suggestible. They have been allowed to become what they are today through laissez-faire and lack of effective discipline. If a rigid discipline coupled with civic and moral values had been imposed upon them when they first stepped into secondary education, they would never have become what they are today. Discipline at school is an integral part of the child’s education. Tomorrow’s society depends heavily on the kind of education we dish out today.

Reforms in education will lamentably miss their target if education at school does not improve quality-wise. Actually education at secondary school level is neglected. The standard of formal education is on the wane. We are churning out quantity at the expense of quality. And the informal education of our school population has been steadily eroded by an acute lack of discipline at school.

The success of secondary education depends on rigorous discipline. Without it, education, be it formal or informal, will be on the downward trend. Reforms in education do not mean doting the island with brand new secondary schools or making schooling compulsory up to the age of sixteen or walling off Form V students from Form VI if the very essence of education is allowed to remain the same. Otherwise we shall have changed the bottle while the wine has remained the same. Reforms mean reviewing the education system from top to bottom, scrutinizing all aspects to gear up education qualitywise. When all these aspects have been reviewed and corrected, then the objective will have been attained.

Discipline boils down to what the students should do, what they should not do and what they need to do. This is discipline in a nutshell. Today the survival of our education depends on an iron discipline, especially where boys are concerned. An iron discipline will also help to preserve these brand new secondary schools in which billions have been invested from disfigurement. The first thing that the ministry of Education should do is to impose a ban on chewing gum at school. The chewing of gum by students pollutes the school environment. After chewing the gum, they just throw it anywhere or stick it under their desks or the seat of their chairs. A ban on chewing gum will definitely keep the school and its surroundings clean. The management should crack down on gum chewers.

Discipline at school also exacts that students show up properly dressed in uniform. It is inconceivable that students come to school with their ears lined with earrings, with two or three necklaces around their necks along with a mop of dyed hair as if they are going to a street carnival. A line regarding their way of dressing should be drawn somewhere. Any student who crosses that line should be sent away from school.

This is the type of education that should be dished out to learners to enable them to earn a living and live in society tomorrow. To foster that education, it has to be partnered with tight discipline allied with moral and civic values. Otherwise we shall be heading towards a rotten society with an upsurge in the number of vandals and hooligans.