Parents defensive when told of children’s behaviour at school – Welfare Officer

Chief Welfare Officer Jullian Vyphius on Wednesday said parents are being defensive when they are approached about the behaviour of their children at school.

Vyphius was speaking on the Ministry of Education’s weekly Spotlight programme.

The Welfare Officer said that with numerous reports of poor behavioural traits portrayed by students, parents need to listen and act instead of becoming defensive.

She said when complaints are made, “I recognise a lot of times parents are being defensive and recently I had to talk to a parent, I said to deist from doing such.

“We have our children and they are so innocent in front of our eyes and when they are with their peers at school, it’s a different thing so sometimes, we need to listen and start inspecting,” Vyphius reasoned.

Meanwhile, Dr Marcel Hutson, the Chief Education Officer, said it will take a community effort to ensure these children are not negatively influenced.

According to the CEO, he had reason to speak with some of the boys from the Campbellville Secondary school. He said after that talk, the students now show interest in their future and want to have respectable professions.

He explained that the people in the community therefore must engage these children and guide them when they are seen in wrongdoings.

He acknowledged that some people don’t get involved because they don’t want to be told off “it’s not their business.”

“You see children misbehaving, you have a right as an adult to say you should not behave like that… I think we need to move in that direction,” Dr Hutson said.

Vyphius agreed and said, “we should take the responsibility to reprimand children wherever we see they are doing wrong things.”

Previously, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said that religious leaders and influencers will go to schools where bad behaviour by students has been reported.

Vyphius said that the children have been receiving guidance at school through public speaking at assemblies. She said police officers are among the people who went into schools and the children seem to respond well to these persons.