Disciplinary Problems in Primary Schools

By : Bawani A/P Arjunan

Bullying, playing truant, gengsterisme, vandalisme and the list will go on and on. i don't think these words were common among the students in 70's or 80's. But, nowadays these are the main issues being discussed in nation and global wide. What is going on with the primary kids nowadays? At one face of newspaper, news about primary students who been excel academically spread out, but deep within the same newspaper, we can go through lots of news about the students who been caught for playing truancy, vandalizing public ammenities and for bravely bitting up the teachers.

The headline 'Students set fire in classroom' really gave me a shock of my life. Are the students not been guided properly through our education system? I don' think our education system lack in any aspects as the religious and morale studies been integrated into our education system long long ago. In these case, the blame will fall on the teachers role. Are the teachers playing their role as an educator or just as a teacher who teaches for the sake of being paid by the government. A teacher should be an educator- who can guide, lead, assist and 'torch' the students into a proper life path. It is an undeniable truth that there are some teachers who fail to be a 'TEACHER'. A respectable teacher should really care about the students' need and try to fulfill it through their teaching. As this can add attachment between the students and the school which at the same time could avoid the students being 'dragged' into disciplinary problems.

On the other hand, should parents be blamed? Parents who are the person who spending most of their time with the kids should be more responsible and alert of their kids' activities. The fact that many families are 'dual' income families and most parents dont have the time to really 'take care of their children can be a dominant factor that assist the increase of disciplinary problems. Besides, the parents should always keep an eye (they will need more than an eye) on their kids' friends. Primary kids like to be with their peers most of the times. They will be the loyal follower to their peers' activities. At this point, no matter how good a kid been raised up, the peer will take the full charge of the kids' life.

Finally, I would like to let the others to decide on 'who should be blamed of these disciplinary problems???? Keep on doing the thinking.