Christopher Johnson | Pembroke Hall teacher needs grace and mercy

It was alarming to see a video of a teacher threatening a student to murder him. That was way over the top and the response of the public is, essentially ‘let’s kill the teacher’.

According to news reports, the education minister said that the teacher would not be allowed to teacher again with that behaviour.

Some would say, “yes, minister”. However, we cannot continue to go straight for the throat when matters like this arise.

Truth to be told, one could argue that the teacher was set up by the students. As we all know, students, from time to time, set up teachers, lie on teachers and even place teachers in difficult situations. Many of these schools have issues with students in regard to their behaviour.

However, I will concede that the teacher’s behaviour, based on the video, went over the top, but the student was disrespectful, too.

POINTS TO CONSIDER

While we may want to sanction the teacher for her action, please take into consideration the following points:

1. The Jamaican classroom is a stressful place and little to no regard is given to teachers by administrators, students, the ministry, and parents.

2. Many of our nation’s children do not response to their teachers and often take advantage of them.

3. Teachers are often left on their own to deal with disruptive students and sometimes abused by parents, without any support.

4. Teachers are sometimes given large class sizes and a lot more sessions to teach, which is above international standards.

5. Teachers are often looked down on by many in society and the first to be blamed for the ills in the society.

6. Teachers are threatened by administrators about their level of class control and given sanctions for their failings.

With these points in mind, I urge the school board of Pembroke Hall High School to have mercy on the teacher. We all know that every action has equal and opposite reaction, and every case must be judged on its own merit.

I beseech the board not to go for the jugular, but rather, offer counselling and training for all the staff and students of Pembroke Hall High.

Christopher Johnson is a minister of religion based in Hanover. Email feedback to chrisron23@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com.