Educator wants more support for deans of discipline

President of the National Association of Deans of Discipline, Dr Rene Level, says poor behaviour from both parents and students is making the job more difficult for her colleagues.

The comment comes in light of a recent incident involving a student, her parent and a dean at a Manchester-based school.

"Deans are having a harder time because of the type of student we have now in society where they are adopting the international things. They think that no one should [talk] to them so we are having more challenges," Level told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Commanding Officer for the Manchester Police Division, Superintendent Carey Duncan, said the incident reported was a verbal confrontation.

"The information indicates that a female student, who has been instructed to report to the vice principal's office in relation to a prior matter, became boisterous and disorderly," he said. Reports indicate that the student was approached by the dean in the presence of teachers, who intervened and restrained the student in an effort to escort her to the vice principal's office. Rumours swirled that the child's father got into a physical confrontation with the dean. However, police maintain that based on reports they received, there is nothing to suggest that anything physical happened. When contacted, the school said it had "no comment" on the matter.

Level explained that deans play a keen role in areas such as maintaining order, promoting positive behaviour, maintaining discipline, enforcing school rules, and ascertaining students' maladaptive behaviour. Those include misconduct, fighting, lateness, truancy and bullying. Level said deans also help to apply appropriate consequences.

"We need more parental support. This is very important. When parents are involved in school life and model positive behaviour, when that child attends school, that child will show respect," she said.

Level outlined what she considered a troubling trend which she has expressed concern about previously.

"The issue I am seeing with parents is that when their child reports a matter that something happens at school, they don't come to administration and hear what is going on. They basically take matters in their own hands. So they listen to their child and don't listen to the administrative side," she said.

Level is also calling on the government to do more to support deans and students.

"I am still saying to the government, [you] need to play a role to let parents understand that they must respect administration. Also for students who display maladaptive behaviour, the government must put something in place like back in the days where they had juvenile facilities. So create a system for students who display these behaviours [to] be placed in those locations, so behaviour can change."