Re-educate the troublemakers

IN MY school days at one of Dundee’s academies, pupils invariably got to school on time and, once lessons had begun, sat respectfully and attentively at their desks.

They gave their teachers, who uniformly wore black gowns as befitted their status, unwavering attention and addressed them politely as either “sir” or “miss”. Discipline was maintained throughout the school day by the members of the staff.

Those pupils whose behaviour in class was disruptive or otherwise unacceptable were given punishments that were deemed the norm by pupils, teachers and parents or carers alike.

It was universally accepted that inappropriate actions on the part of pupils had certain predictable consequences aimed at ensuring the misconduct was unlikely to be repeated.

Fast forward just a few decades and how things have changed.

We now increasingly hear of schools where situations bordering on anarchy prevail.

Almost unbelievably there are some teachers who are quite literally afraid to go to work because of soaring levels of violence in the classroom.

There are some who do go to work but, by doing so, put themselves at considerable risk in their efforts to protect themselves and others from assaults.

And then there are pupils who – when they even bother to go to school – routinely challenge their teachers, both verbally and physically.

Far from wearing black gowns to signify the academic qualifications they have achieved and which qualify them to teach and be treated with respect, teachers have taken to “dressing down”, presumably in a bid to portray themselves to their pupils as “one of you” rather than “the one in charge of you”, a bid which is demonstrably futile.

When did this downward trend start? As long ago as the 1980s, Pink Floyd were influencing impressionable youngsters by singing “we don’t need no education”.

And I recall thinking at that time “sorry, but if that sentence indicates your level of education you obviously do need it”. Nevertheless,

Pink Floyd’s words seem to resonate with some of today’s school pupils.

The education system in Scotland was once heralded as being among the very best in the world. It now seems to be collapsing at a frightening rate.

Isn’t it high time the Scottish Government grasped this particular nettle? If they fail, who knows what lies ahead?