... Frustration at boiling point

ACCORDING TO Alnastázia Watson, outgoing president of the National Secondary Students’ Council (NSSC), student frustration is now at a boiling point in regards to the haphazard grooming policy across schools.

“It’s a topic of discussion now and the council really believes that it is getting out of hand and we can’t just sit back and not do anything about it because we are the ones being dreadfully affected by it,” the upper sixth former insisted.

For this reason, punitive measures utilised by administrations must take into consideration the dignity of the child, as well as work to ensure that the child’s development is the utmost priority, she said.

“As students, we recognise the need for disciplinary measures in schools. It is imperative that the school rules are adhered to in order to foster a conductive learning environment. The NSSC recognises Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which emphasises “any form of school discipline should take into account the child’s human dignity. Therefore, governments must ensure that school administrators review their discipline policies and eliminate any discipline practices involving physical or mental violence, abuse or neglect”, the council said in its release.

“The evidence suggests that the same sets of students are consistently being sent home for the issue of improper grooming. It is quite easy to regard these students as troublemakers. However, it may simply be the case that sending them home is not effective as a rehabilitative tool. Rather, it is preventing the child from their right to an education, which is provided for in the UN Convention and the Education Act of 1980.”