Senior reporter
The National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA), T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) and other stakeholders have pushed back against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s suggestion that persistently disruptive students be sent home as part of a zero-tolerance approach to school indiscipline.
The Prime Minister made the proposal in a statement on Sunday ahead of the start of the new academic year, urging schools to adopt a tougher stance toward disruptive students and uncooperative parents.
Speaking with Guardian Media as students returned to classrooms yesterday, NPTA president Walter Stewart said the association fully supported Persad-Bissessar’s emphasis on the importance of education but was concerned about her proposed response to persistent indiscipline.
“The National Parent Teacher Association fully supports the Prime Minister’s appeal to take education seriously, to encourage our students to be disciplined, respect their teachers and school staff, and recognise that education provides greater opportunities in life,” Stewart said.
“However, we find the tone of the Prime Minister’s message concerning sending our children home because of indiscipline somewhat disconcerting.”
Stewart argued that removing students from school would not address the root causes of their behaviour and could create additional challenges for children and parents.
“As a matter of fact, it has the tendency to breed additional challenges not only for the children but for the parents as well,” he said.
“How are we moving the problem from the school to the home without trying to address the underlying issues that this child is facing?”
His concerns were echoed by counselling psychologist Dr Krystal-Jane Verasammy, who said discipline and accountability are necessary but must be balanced with understanding and support.
“The issue of discipline in schools is an important one, as we have seen the number of school bullying incidents over the years. Schools need clear boundaries and students need to be accountable for disruptive behaviour,” Verasammy said.
“At the same time, from a child-centred psychological perspective, I would encourage us to look at discipline alongside understanding.”
She said persistent misbehaviour should prompt educators and parents to examine what may be driving a child’s actions while maintaining appropriate consequences.
Both Stewart and Verasammy stressed the need for stronger support services within schools.
TTUTA president Crystal Ashe also questioned what would happen to students sent home from school.
Speaking on CNC3’s The Morning Brew yesterday, Ashe asked: “The Prime Minister is saying children will be sent home. Sent home to do what? To watch cable TV, to be on Facebook, to be on social media?”
He said without meaningful intervention programmes, the country risked creating larger social problems.
“When you don’t put anything in place, any social programme that would provide some restoration to how they behave and allow them to become good and productive citizens, what are we creating? Who are we creating? We’re creating monsters.”
Ashe also warned that ending contracts for support personnel could undermine progress made with at-risk students.
Kamla, Gadsby-Dolly in spat over issue
Former education minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly also criticised the Prime Minister’s proposal, arguing student misconduct often reflects deeper issues requiring intervention.
In a social media post, Gadsby-Dolly questioned the effectiveness of the approach.
“Send misbehaving children home? That’s the plan?” she asked.
She argued that many children act out because of challenges such as hunger, abuse, undiagnosed learning disabilities, anger or neglect.
She warned that excluding children from school without addressing their underlying problems could simply shift the issue into the wider community.
“Because trust and believe that they are not going to stay home,” she said, suggesting some could end up “in the streets with guns, in the prisons, and inside our homes.”
Gadsby-Dolly called for the restoration and expansion of the SSSD, along with programmes such as MILAT and youth camps.
“Sending misbehaving children home will not cure the problem of school discipline. This is not about politics; this is about the salvation of Trinidad and Tobago. We must think deeper.”
But hours later, Persad-Bissessar also took to Facebook to defend her Government’s approach to school discipline, hitting back at critics.
Persad-Bissessar posted a video clip of Gadsby-Dolly speaking about school violence during the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) administration.
In the clip, Gadsby-Dolly is heard saying many of the children involved in violent incidents at schools had “PNM mothers and PNM fathers.”
Referencing those remarks, Persad-Bissessar said, “Why are persons now complaining about common-sense action being taken to protect students and teachers when, all along, they knew about the problems but did nothing to fix the situation?”
She argued that parents of well-behaved students have grown increasingly frustrated with their children being exposed to bullying, harassment and abuse at school.
“Hardworking, law-abiding parents are fed up with bullies harassing and abusing their innocent children at school,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar also reiterated her view that parents must take responsibility for their children’s behaviour, insisting that responsibility cannot be shifted to teachers or the State.
“Neither the State nor teachers are responsible for parenting your children. You made them, so you have to mind them,” she said.
The Prime Minister said students could avoid disciplinary action by obeying school rules and conducting themselves appropriately.
“The simple answer to not being sent home from school for bad behaviour is to behave responsibly and respectfully, and study diligently,” she said.
“This is as straightforward as it gets.”
