{UAH} Strikes, demos crying out for respect, care
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Strikes, demos crying out for respect, care
Strikes, demos crying out for respect, care
In recent weeks, even months, newspapers have been awash with pictures and reports of people in various categories staging a sit-in or a strike or a demonstration over something – a bad road, a flower firm, unpaid salaries, bad food, etc.
The latest serving from this menu came at the weekend, with reports that Wanyange Girls School was closed after a strike over a range of things, including alleged demonic attacks and the administration's failure to address the problem.
Already this year, schools such as Jinja College, Busoga College Mwiri, Mutolere SS and Muntuyera High have been disrupted by student unrest over various complaints. The frequency of such action requires that we do some soul-searching about the way we run our schools.
Traditionally, as seen in the overuse of caning an almost standard mode of enforcing discipline, our schools have been largely authoritarian. In many institutions, discipline, or even academic excellence, has been pursued not necessarily because learners understand this as the route to the good life, but essentially to avoid the dreaded repercussions of non-compliance.
With the threat of painful sanctions becoming the key tool for securing obedience, school and civic leaders are not only dismissive of demands from below, they eventually become deaf to them. This reduces learners to unquestioning of rules (lest they be punished) – as opposed to young democratic minds being taught to accurately tell the bounds of their rights.
But at a time when democracy and rights is the operative terms for leadership relations, institutions need change tact. Yes, the fear of sanctions has always been part of society's mechanism for avoiding deviance; but on its own, it is not enough.
Schools need to put in place credible structures for addressing students' concerns as they arise. Schools should treat students not simply as subjects from whom unquestioning compliance is expected, but also as clients to be served with firm respect and something akin to customer care.
One direct result of such a reorientation would be increased and more open communication between students and management. And with more transparent communication, the risk of violent conflict gets minimised.
In recent weeks, even months, newspapers have been awash with pictures and reports of people in various categories staging a sit-in or a strike or a demonstration over something – a bad road, a flower firm, unpaid salaries, bad food, etc.
The latest serving from this menu came at the weekend, with reports that Wanyange Girls School was closed after a strike over a range of things, including alleged demonic attacks and the administration's failure to address the problem.
Already this year, schools such as Jinja College, Busoga College Mwiri, Mutolere SS and Muntuyera High have been disrupted by student unrest over various complaints. The frequency of such action requires that we do some soul-searching about the way we run our schools.
Traditionally, as seen in the overuse of caning an almost standard mode of enforcing discipline, our schools have been largely authoritarian. In many institutions, discipline, or even academic excellence, has been pursued not necessarily because learners understand this as the route to the good life, but essentially to avoid the dreaded repercussions of non-compliance.
With the threat of painful sanctions becoming the key tool for securing obedience, school and civic leaders are not only dismissive of demands from below, they eventually become deaf to them. This reduces learners to unquestioning of rules (lest they be punished) – as opposed to young democratic minds being taught to accurately tell the bounds of their rights.
But at a time when democracy and rights is the operative terms for leadership relations, institutions need change tact. Yes, the fear of sanctions has always been part of society's mechanism for avoiding deviance; but on its own, it is not enough.
Schools need to put in place credible structures for addressing students' concerns as they arise. Schools should treat students not simply as subjects from whom unquestioning compliance is expected, but also as clients to be served with firm respect and something akin to customer care.
One direct result of such a reorientation would be increased and more open communication between students and management. And with more transparent communication, the risk of violent conflict gets minimised.
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