A fight between a student and teacher at Tivoli Gardens High School on Monday has sparked a debate about whether teachers should "fight back" or seek to de-escalate aggression.
Linvern Wright, President of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools, says teachers should try to de-escalate aggressions. (File photo)
JTA President Winston Smith has said teachers should fight back against attacks from students. (File photo)
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Linvern Wright, Jamal Hall, President of the National Secondary Students' Council, and Dannyelle Bailey, Deputy Head Girl of St. Hugh's High
President of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools, Linvern Wright, has given a contrasting view to Jamaica Teachers' Association President Winston Smith on how educators should respond to physical confrontations with students.
Mr. Wright says if teachers do not feel threatened, the first response should be to de-escalate the situation.
His recommendation differs from Mr. Smith who has directed teachers to fight back against attacks from students.
The discussion has been taking place in the context of Monday's altercation between a 16-year-old male student and a teacher at Tivoli Gardens High School.
The student has been charged and is to face the Children's Court on June 21.
Mr. Wright says while his recommendation to de-escalate situations like these may be difficult to contemplate in the heat of the moment, violence should not be an option.
Arguing that "there are those of us who have been entrusted to be exemplary", the school administrator suggested that aggression cannot be contained by "fighting back if your back is not against the wall".
Pointing to society's apparent struggle reprisals, he reasoned that teachers, principals and adults in general ought to take responsibility to de-escalate tensions, to have a response that says "as tough as it is, let's work through this".
Mr. Wright, who is also principal of William Knibb Memorial High School, added that there should be ongoing training of educators to deal with evolving student engagements at school.
The principal, who was a guest Thursday on TVJ's Smile Jamaica programme, said the training would help educators to assess a situation with the aim of de-escalating it.
Not helpful
The National Secondary Students' Council has also criticised the Jamaica Teacher's Association president for his recommendation for teachers to fight back against attacks from students.
Jamal Hall, President of the Council, said the recommendation was not helpful.
While he encouraged anyone being attacked to "defend yourself", the student leader argued that teachers fighting back would mean they are "engaging with a student on their level" - something he believes brings their ethical duty into question.
He said the JTA president's statement could widen the relationship gap and deepen animosity between some teachers and students, which could lead to further moral degradation in society.
Address social ills
Dannyelle Bailey, Deputy Head Girl of St. Hugh's High, suggested that greater focus should be placed on addressing social ills in the society which boil over in schools.
She believes enough has not been done to reach students who are less privileged, contending that society does not cater to the "majority of the student population", many of whom have not been "socialised to conduct themselves in a fitting manner when engaging with their teacher".
"So really and truly, our society itself does not know how to handle those students because, to an extent, we've ignored them and focused on students who fit a certain image," said Bailey, who was speaking Thursday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106.
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