Schools will soon be better equipped to deal with deviant behavior, that’s according to Education Minister, Hon. Petter Saint Jean.
He stated this while addressing Principals across the country at a recent Principals Meeting.
“The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development is looking to implement a plan of action that was developed last year aimed at addressing the problem by going into the schools to help our teachers better manage behaviour. We’ve been dealing with this problem but I think right now the time has come where we must be proactive and get into the schools. Development of a behaviour policy by officers of the ministry is currently underway but the Ministry of Education needs your support to make this thing happen.”
Directions have been handed down to increase manpower within the committee to address deviant behavior.
“To deal with the issue of crime, violence, deviance, misbehavior and inappropriate behaviour I have instructed my Permanent Secretary that rather than dealing with a one man committee, there is need to augment this committee to three or four individuals. I have instructed that additional people be brought in so that we have a team that can really go out there and face that problem head on. We must save the young people of Dominica.”
The Education Minister solicited the assistance of all principals on this matter.
“This is where your management skills can come into play. Help us engender the right environment in our schools which promote discipline and good behaviour. In fact with the move to implement child friendly schools by 2015, I’m hoping that you will come on board to help us train our students in the practice of positive behaviour as we seek to develop a cadre of responsible citizens.”
The Minister stated that positive change has already been detected throughout schools which have already implemented the Child-friendly Schools Programme.