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Seek perfection of character
ANTHONY GOMES
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
The recent violent public encounters between schoolboys from two of Jamaica's most prestigious learning institutions, St George's College and Kingston College, are both disturbing and shameful. It is, however, a phenomenon that usually accompanies the onset of puberty which exhibits itself in aggressive attitudes that, if allowed to remain unchecked, can result in violent, harmful behaviour.
For various reasons, the relegation of applied discipline in homes and schools is largely responsible for such teenage waywardness depicted in the traditional maxim: "Spare the rod and spoil the child". Indoctrination of the difference between right and wrong, which is a parental responsibility, must begin in the home and continued at all levels in schools as part of the character-building process. The focus on academic success, generally speaking, has overshadowed the importance of character building that has ultimately led to the type of behaviour being exhibited publicly by young adults.
The abolition of appropriate corporal punishment in schools for various reasons has been retrogressive as evidenced by the rise of violence against teachers, others in authority and occasionally against parents in breach of the fourth Christian Commandment: "Honour your father and your mother". The ruler, the cane and the strap, used in the normal course of discipline, were not unduly harsh instruments to be likened unto the United Nations Convention on Torture, Cruel and Inhuman Treatment, and it is debatable whether the prevailing alternative now contributes to development and practice of self-discipline, a fundamental element in character formation.
A prime example of removing youngsters from a disciplined environment was experienced with the end of National Service in the UK that required two years' mandatory military service by young adults. This was followed by the birth of street gangs of hooligans with such colourful names as The Mods & Rockers, The Teddy Boys and the Skinheads. Violent behaviour also began to erupt at football matches that became additional outlets for youthful excessive energy which continues today and regrettably results in random fatalities.
The domestic society is currently mesmerised by academic qualifications to the detriment of character assessment. While the acquisition of knowledge is a highly laudable pursuit, it should be accompanied by the perfection of character to fulfil the profile of a well-balanced, educated personality.
Professor Errol Miller, a former principal of Mico Teachers' College, recently endorsed this point of view thus: "The amount of intelligence required to succeed in life is overestimated. We need to stop worshipping at the altar of high intelligence. What we have to realise is that more important than intelligence is character." He observed that the acquisition of theoretical knowledge in the absence of moral standards and discipline was not equivalent to success.
A potent and proven avenue for dealing with dysfunctional teenage behaviour is participation in the martial arts. A growing number of high-ranking professionals now practise Japanese karate, Korean tae kwon do or Chinese kung fu as well as a burgeoning number of all ages and societal strata, who experience the benefits of improved physical and mental well-being.
One prominent example in the Caribbean is the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF) which claims approximately 500 students across Jamaica. It must be emphasised that karate is not a religion, but is a disciplined way of life that yields a multiplicity of benefits for both mind and body and is ideally suited for the character development of youthful students.
The numerous benefits derived from such a healthy lifestyle include: greater mental alacrity, an increased attention span, focused concentration, an acute sense of respect and courtesy for family and others emanating from improved self-confidence, obedience to authority, knowledge of self-defence as an antidote for bullying in schools and street violence, a high degree of physical fitness and a lifelong challenge to succeed in perfecting one's character - the ultimate goal.
Frequently, parents enrol their children for training and request they be taught discipline which is only one aspect of learning the art, indicating the difficulties experienced in administering domestic discipline. When boys and girls want to compete with each other, they can participate in "free sparring" under controlled conditions so no one is harmed, instead of brawling in the streets or at a football match.
Mr RAG Shippey writes in the Observer from Port Antonio: "In short, there is usually no structured curriculum or modalilty for teaching values in schools, and this could be the root of the problem we are experiencing with our youngsters today.
So while we tackle the other contributing factors such as the breakdown in the family, substandard music, weak communities and poor school leadership, we must simultaneously address this deficiency in our school curriculum, and strengthen the teaching of values in order to aid in good character-building in our students. A programme of instruction for character-building is urgently needed in our school system."
On the initiative of ISKF, a Karate College is to be built in Guyana staffed by qualified professional instructors, and supported by President Bharrat Jagdeo. Karate is now a component of the CXC syllabus and is a co-credit course at the UWI. The principals of schools afflicted by indiscipline and violence would be well advised to invite officials from the ISKF to talk with their students, in an attempt for them to understand the fruitlessness of their inglorious behaviour and to explain the importance of self-discipline in character formation, through an alternative way of development to achieve academic success while practising a healthy and rewarding lifestyle.
ANTHONY GOMES
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
The recent violent public encounters between schoolboys from two of Jamaica's most prestigious learning institutions, St George's College and Kingston College, are both disturbing and shameful. It is, however, a phenomenon that usually accompanies the onset of puberty which exhibits itself in aggressive attitudes that, if allowed to remain unchecked, can result in violent, harmful behaviour.
For various reasons, the relegation of applied discipline in homes and schools is largely responsible for such teenage waywardness depicted in the traditional maxim: "Spare the rod and spoil the child". Indoctrination of the difference between right and wrong, which is a parental responsibility, must begin in the home and continued at all levels in schools as part of the character-building process. The focus on academic success, generally speaking, has overshadowed the importance of character building that has ultimately led to the type of behaviour being exhibited publicly by young adults.
The abolition of appropriate corporal punishment in schools for various reasons has been retrogressive as evidenced by the rise of violence against teachers, others in authority and occasionally against parents in breach of the fourth Christian Commandment: "Honour your father and your mother". The ruler, the cane and the strap, used in the normal course of discipline, were not unduly harsh instruments to be likened unto the United Nations Convention on Torture, Cruel and Inhuman Treatment, and it is debatable whether the prevailing alternative now contributes to development and practice of self-discipline, a fundamental element in character formation.
A prime example of removing youngsters from a disciplined environment was experienced with the end of National Service in the UK that required two years' mandatory military service by young adults. This was followed by the birth of street gangs of hooligans with such colourful names as The Mods & Rockers, The Teddy Boys and the Skinheads. Violent behaviour also began to erupt at football matches that became additional outlets for youthful excessive energy which continues today and regrettably results in random fatalities.
The domestic society is currently mesmerised by academic qualifications to the detriment of character assessment. While the acquisition of knowledge is a highly laudable pursuit, it should be accompanied by the perfection of character to fulfil the profile of a well-balanced, educated personality.
Professor Errol Miller, a former principal of Mico Teachers' College, recently endorsed this point of view thus: "The amount of intelligence required to succeed in life is overestimated. We need to stop worshipping at the altar of high intelligence. What we have to realise is that more important than intelligence is character." He observed that the acquisition of theoretical knowledge in the absence of moral standards and discipline was not equivalent to success.
A potent and proven avenue for dealing with dysfunctional teenage behaviour is participation in the martial arts. A growing number of high-ranking professionals now practise Japanese karate, Korean tae kwon do or Chinese kung fu as well as a burgeoning number of all ages and societal strata, who experience the benefits of improved physical and mental well-being.
One prominent example in the Caribbean is the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF) which claims approximately 500 students across Jamaica. It must be emphasised that karate is not a religion, but is a disciplined way of life that yields a multiplicity of benefits for both mind and body and is ideally suited for the character development of youthful students.
The numerous benefits derived from such a healthy lifestyle include: greater mental alacrity, an increased attention span, focused concentration, an acute sense of respect and courtesy for family and others emanating from improved self-confidence, obedience to authority, knowledge of self-defence as an antidote for bullying in schools and street violence, a high degree of physical fitness and a lifelong challenge to succeed in perfecting one's character - the ultimate goal.
Frequently, parents enrol their children for training and request they be taught discipline which is only one aspect of learning the art, indicating the difficulties experienced in administering domestic discipline. When boys and girls want to compete with each other, they can participate in "free sparring" under controlled conditions so no one is harmed, instead of brawling in the streets or at a football match.
Mr RAG Shippey writes in the Observer from Port Antonio: "In short, there is usually no structured curriculum or modalilty for teaching values in schools, and this could be the root of the problem we are experiencing with our youngsters today.
So while we tackle the other contributing factors such as the breakdown in the family, substandard music, weak communities and poor school leadership, we must simultaneously address this deficiency in our school curriculum, and strengthen the teaching of values in order to aid in good character-building in our students. A programme of instruction for character-building is urgently needed in our school system."
On the initiative of ISKF, a Karate College is to be built in Guyana staffed by qualified professional instructors, and supported by President Bharrat Jagdeo. Karate is now a component of the CXC syllabus and is a co-credit course at the UWI. The principals of schools afflicted by indiscipline and violence would be well advised to invite officials from the ISKF to talk with their students, in an attempt for them to understand the fruitlessness of their inglorious behaviour and to explain the importance of self-discipline in character formation, through an alternative way of development to achieve academic success while practising a healthy and rewarding lifestyle.
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