Dilemma of subject combinations

I START this week’s discussion taking it from the general concern about children and the youth indulging in drugs and alcohol.

I concluded last week’s article talking about the latter scourge and calling for all stakeholders to join hands to fight the vice.

But, many will agree with me that it is no longer easy to fight these ills because the communities are now fragmented. Gone are the days when children were for the whole village or community.

Gone are the days when children could be sent around to do any errands for any elderly person they came across. A child could be sent to the shops which were usually at a distance by any elderly person without complaining.

In fact, there was no room for complaints as there was sort of an agreement between the elderly to instil some form of discipline on whoever defied orders from any elderly person in the village or community.

Any defiance by a child was frowned upon and that child became the talk of the village as one who is disrespectful. Children belonged to the village or community.

Children were afraid to commit any mischief anywhere because they knew they were being watched all the time, not by their biological parents but any village elders. These had the right to mete any instant punishment to any child who committed any crime.

In other words children belonged to the whole village or community, not to individual parents. Alas, it is a different story today. Children belong to the individual couples who take sole charge of their children. They no longer belong to extended families as it used to happen before. At times it is so extreme that members of the extended family have no say in the upkeep of their relation’s children. This is the reason we find children in a pathetic state.

They abuse drugs and drink alcohol at a very tender age. What do these drugs and alcohol do to young brains?

Obviously, they damage them. The tragedy is that neighbours or even schools cannot do anything to help the situation. There is a silent rule from the parents of such children which reads: “Keep away from child.” If you try to intervene you get a severe tongue lashing if not a thorough beating from that child.

This has led to neighbours keeping their distance from neighbours’ children.

This has gone on to permeate the school system. Schools were generally known and expected to fine tune learners and make them responsible citizens together with their parents and guardians. All this was made possible and easy because the latter co-operated as well.

They worked together with the schools. However, it is a different scenario today. We have parents who are overprotective of their children and believe their children are angels and cannot be involved in any form of indiscipline.

When schools summon them to discuss their children they do not co-operate. Some do not bother to attend, some attend but with a defensive stance.

They do not agree with the administration but would rather stand with their child. Once this happens all hell breaks loose.

The child never fits in well in the school. This draws negative attitudes from the teachers as well as other learners. The best is for that child to be transferred for the good of that learner and the school.

Some parents and guardians shudder to think about transferring their children from one school to another. Agreed, it is an arduous task but there are times when there is no other choice, the learner has to move because he has become a risk to other learners.

This has worked well for others and can give good testimonies on their experiences. Change of environment works well for the learner at times.

This reminds me to go back to the advice I gave to the parents and guardians at the beginning of these schools holidays on parents talking to their children about subject choices early rather than complain later or try to change learning paths when it is too late.

Choosing subjects is very important for learners as it is the time when they start shaping their careers.

Learners should not gamble with career choices because they will live with them. It is commendable that every year there are provincial career guidance sessions held by the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. Various departments, organisations and ministries go down to enlighten learners on what they can choose to do. All learners are keen to attend these sessions but, they are impeded by long distances to centres chosen.

Many schools do not have transport to take as many learners to those centres chosen to host the sessions. Most of these sessions are slated for Fridays. One might ask, what is wrong with holding them on Fridays? Civil servants are on paper expected to work 24 hours a day therefore they should not rush to finish up whatever they are doing on Friday. The old adage says; “It’s easier said than done.” Reality on the ground will tell you that some workers do not put as much effort to their work on Friday afternoon.

The other point is, that is if they are there at their stations. I know this might sound as a sweeping statement but such issues need to be considered rather than short-change learners.

This aside, the gist of the matter is the need for parents and guardians to help learners choose proper subject combinations for successful careers.

This can only be done with the assistance of the teachers.

Do not ignore the advice of teachers as they are the ones who spend more time with the learners. Do not force learners to do subjects they have no capacity to pass.

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