Hope for Haile Selassie High School
Published:Monday | June 24, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Keisha Hill, Gleaner Writer
Kathryn May travelled from Montego Bay, St James, just to participate in the official launch of the Art of Living Youth Empowerment Seminar programme at the Haile Selassie High School in St Andrew recently. She was among the many volunteers who freely give their time and expertise to administer the programme in an effort to change the negative stigma that has been associated with the institution.
"It is an interesting way to get involved. We actually started with the prison inmates, now we have started with this school. It will be interesting to see how it evolves. It may only impact a few of the students but a least some of the lives of the children and, by extension, the wider community will be changed," May said.
Other volunteers include the husband and wife team of Seema and Devan Batavia who will be at the institution for about two months. They teach the two and a half classes Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. They have implemented two rewards programmes that include a scholarship and human value award in which students based on academics and exemplifying certain human qualities will be given a full year's tuition.
"Participation varies every day. They certainly need help in discipline, to be focused and most importantly understanding human values. They also need to understand each other and manage their emotions," Batavia said.
According to him, they assist the students to understand techniques that will help them to manage their emotions. "Short-term and long-term change can only occur when everyone is participating. We started with the faculty first, and now we are directing our energy towards the students. Everyone is now taking responsibility for their actions and the number of infractions have dropped," he said.
Culture change
Principal, Lorenzo Ellis, said they have now started to see a turning point in which they are experiencing a culture change, as the students are being more responsive in terms of managing their behaviour.
"We have had pockets of success and we are working hard to have Haile Selaisse become the school of choice and of excellence. We have to create a climate of order and orderliness and take deliberate time to cultivate a better climate for teaching and learning," Ellis said.
Art of Living is a multi-faceted organisation with one of the largest volunteer bases in the world. Globally, the organisation operates as The Art of Living Foundation formed in 1989 in the United States of America and in Germany. Since then, local centres have been established across the world.