I have been advocating for some time now that it is imperative our schools introduce workshops on the alternative resolution dispute programmes. Today we are seeing overt school violence. These workshops should be incorporated into the curriculum and have, for at least one hour a day, role-plays etc. If children do not learn from an early age how to resolve their problems without the use of violence we would have a society that other countries can recruit from for their wars.
If violence continues unabated among our schoolchildren they would have justified fears of not wanting to attend school. And who can blame them? The sooner this programme is brought on-stream with effective presenters and other professionals, the sooner we would have stalled any dangerous conditions and save our scholars.
If our children do not go to school and enjoy a safe and relaxed atmosphere our most important resources would diminish and we, the adults, would be to blame. The country is in deep trouble and we must acknowledge it and do something "like yesterday," as the saying goes.The programme must begin at the primary level and continue al the way up–just like any other subject or game of football. It must be ongoing for its importance to become part of every student. There could be after-school programmes for adults also.
Aubert Modeste,
Retired NYPD officer