Page 70 - Social Norms Survey

THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Like home, school is often not a safe place. Not only
peers but also school authorities can be sources of

violence. In schools there are psychologically abusive,
disrespectful or uncaring teachers as well as admirable

teachers. During
fieldwork for

this study a
VPA facilitator

observed the
Dean of Discipline at one high school berating three

girls who were out of class at the wrong time: “Me feel
to give you some bitch lick!” There are teachers in schools who use physical implements

as threats and for occasional use, but those in primary schools and even basic schools use
these more frequently. This practice is illegal in basic schools (early childhood institutions)
41
and is a breach of the Child Care and Protection Act. 42

The level of psychological abuse from teachers,
especially as described in the reports from Grade

8 boys at one high school, is very disturbing. This
regular mistreatment is clearly a source of anger

and humiliation that students have to repress. In two
schools, all students in the focus group complained

about the disrespect shown by one teacher in
particular: in one school it was the drama teacher

and in the other a maths teacher. In explaining why
some youth turned to violence, these students talked

of their being turned off education by teachers
like that. Other teachers in schools did not directly

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41 The 2017 study on women and children’s safety and security in 13 volatile communities revealed that beating is
still occurring in some primary schools, while in some basic schools teachers use rulers or their hands to beat and also
engage in pinching. These abuses occur with some parents’ permission but are strongly objected to by others.
42 The MOE, through its Region 3 Director, also pointed this out last year. Gleaner, August 16, 2017. “Teachers Are Still
Beating Children—MOE Official.”

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