THE GREAT SCAM. Opinion Section by David Cerdá

A Minimum of Respect

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David Cerdá

While the prospect of a grand national pact on education in our country remains impossible —a consequence of entrenched politics and gutter politics— it would at least be worthwhile to agree upon a minimum level of respect regarding the treatment of teachers and school staff. Firm rules should be established, sending unequivocal messages to both students and their parents —those much-discussed “red lines” so often mentioned yet rarely enforced.

Incidents of violence against teachers are on the rise: perhaps, tragically, we have grown accustomed to them. But it seems clear that, from this point, there is little left to discuss. Why debate PISA results, the decline in reading comprehension, or mathematics performance when we are faced with stones, sticks, and even knives? Yes, some students undoubtedly face harrowing circumstances —even criminals have children— but schools must stand as the most formidable bastion against violence imaginable.

Nor is there much more to discuss when it comes to verbal abuse; yet certain insults have become normalised. Just over a year ago, the CSIF reported that 79% of teachers had suffered physical or verbal assaults or threats from students, and 64% acknowledged frequent violence among pupils. Thanks to the intimidation of some headteachers and the pseudo-hippie clamour of those who claim inclusivity embraces such behaviour, there is no united front to combat this disgrace. In some places, we have already begun imitating the United States by installing weapon detectors.

A minimum of respect makes teaching possible, for without it, nothing remains. Methods and disciplinary measures must indeed be considered, but a school —which, through its diversity, should resemble a working-class neighbourhood (the foundation of democracy)— must, in its mission, aspire to the solemnity of a temple. In such a space, every act of violence, whether physical or verbal, must be viewed as sacrilege. If we truly wish for schools to be realms of opportunity and creation, they must first and foremost insist —relentlessly— that there is no place for aggression, whether in the workplace or in society at large.

We are not short of protocols —thank you, we have more than enough— what we lack is a sense of shame. Shame is what should be felt by those who participate in or turn a blind eye to these outrages. For this, someone must, at least occasionally, remind students, their families, and even teachers that the cornerstone of society is not solely rights but also duties. Rights are not worth the paper it’s written on when divorced from a recognition of responsibilities. No community, no school can function where everyone does as they please; for mistaking freedom for the absence of responsibility, we now face a growing number of the unscrupulous.

A united front is needed against parental interference. There must be formal channels for lodging complaints, and the legal route is fully open to anyone who feels the law has been breached; but no parent should be free to waltz in a school as if they own the place. It needs to be said —clearly and repeatedly: a parent is not a customer, nor, indeed, is their child. The excessive demands of parents, unaccompanied by a sense of responsibility, are at the root of many of our problems, which we will not overturn until respect once again becomes the core of the educational project.

Like so many issues of plain common sense, this, too, has been politicised, and so many are still arguing over whether it’s six of one or half a dozen of the other, when what’s needed now is to roll up our sleeves and close ranks like the Spartans. If we delay any longer, we will see more seams of our system burst apart. Then, inevitably, some opportunistic politician —a Trump-like figure— will emerge to state the obvious, and we will be left only with regrets. One cannot teach those who do not respect them —full stop— nor can one teach if they themselves lack respect —new paragraph.

The word “respect” comes from the Latin respectus, derived from the family of specere, meaning “to look”: to respect is to look again. This second glance allows us to recognise in others what is human, making us equals. This is why school uniforms can sometimes be a good idea —perhaps their strongest justification: to remind us of our fundamental equality, our inherent dignity. Every act of disrespect is a foolish attempt to stand out, an effort to place oneself above others, to dominate. In an increasingly unequal world, this is the challenge we face: to restore the art of teaching and the duty of learning as an unyielding community of equals.

Source: educational EVIDENCE

Rights: Creative Commons