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Dear teachers,
A local blogger laments "the appalling state of discipline in our schools" and longs for a return to "old-fashioned discipline to restore some semblance of order" in Singapore schools, citing numerous random acts of violence reported by the blogger's teacher friends. Yes, violence is a problem these days. Contrary to what the blogger says, children are more typically the victims of adult violence rather than the reverse. Instead of cracking whips to scare kids into docility, the long-term answer is to educate all - young and old - about the futility of violence as a response to life's challenges. Storytelling has the power to serve this purpose. In February, we wrote about child soldiers. Our readers' letters show that they are able to empathise with victims in distant places. Even lower primary students tell us how they feel and pen phrases such as "we must stop the killing", "no more wars please", "if I were an adult, I would…". Our March issue carries a couple of stories that we anticipate will trigger similar reactions: one about the recent massacre of thirty journalists in the Philippines, and the other about children falsely accused of being witches in West Africa. If What's Up wrote lesson plans, this one would spell out the aim to evoke responses to far-off scenarios in order to strengthen the student's capacity to empathise with peers as well as adults at school and home. So, the blogger who wants to regress into yesteryear methods misses the point. Teachers resisting outdated control tactics in favour of building character know their path is rockier but going in the right direction.
Sincerely,
Mary Cherian and Cherian George
Editors - IDEAS
February 28, 2010
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