EDITOR, The Tribune

How many male principals do we have in our junior and senior schools today? The answer is too few. I have worked in education for many years and I have come to realise that we need more men in the junior and senior schools. This is not a sexist comment. It is simply a fact. I am a woman and I can see that the discipline in many schools at these levels are terrible. The majority of these schools are in inner city areas where many students are in gangs and where many of the young men and even young women live in a world where men are rarely seen.

Many of these students have little respect for women and do not see them as authority figures. I have seen the way a male student reacts differently when spoken to by a male by comparison to a female. There can be no learning in schools where there is no discipline. The Ministry of Education needs to increase the ratio of male to females in the administration of our schools and more of our inner city junior and senior schools need male principals. The males chosen need to be those who are serious about discipline and learning taking place in our schools. Promote the effective males. Move them up and skip a level if you have to. We must get our schools in order.

The principal of R M Bailey should be commended. He is an excellent example of a principal who turned a school around. Everyone who knows him knows that he is serious about discipline and learning. We need males with that kind of mindset, not those who are slack and have no standards.

Students learn about discipline and boundaries in school first. This is important so when they come out into society they will know how to conduct themselves. I hope and pray that this issue is addressed and changes are made for the new school year.

ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE

Nassau

July 18, 2019