CRY FOR DEANS

WESTERN BUREAU:

Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President Mark Malabver has reiterated his call for every school in the island to have a dean of discipline, expressing disappointment that both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance have failed to fully embrace the proposal despite growing concerns about indiscipline and violence in schools.

Speaking at the three-day annual conference of the National Association of Deans of Discipline in Hanover, Malabver suggested that policymakers are disconnected from the realities faced by educators.

“Sometimes I get the impression that the powers that be are tone deaf to the realities that exist on the ground, and whenever we make noise, they say that we are alarmists,” he said.

Malabver noted that repeated representations to the authorities have resulted in little progress, with decision-makers seemingly reluctant to commit to the initiative. He argued that some institutions may even require more than one dean of discipline to adequately manage student behaviour.

“Discipline is not just an accessory. It is foundational,” he said. “And what I mean by that is that without structure, learning collapses; without consistency, standards erode; and without fairness, trust disappears.”

Development, not domination

According to Malabver, deans of discipline play a critical role in maintaining school environments where teachers can teach without fear and students can learn without disruption. He cautioned against viewing discipline solely as punishment, stressing that the role is developmental.

“ ... Discipline is about development, not domination; about guidance, not humiliation; about restoration, not merely retribution,” he said.

He added that effective discipline requires balancing fairness and compassion, authority and empathy, and justice and mercy, describing these as professional skills rather than coincidences.

Urging firmness in addressing indiscipline, Malabver likened the issue to cancer in the body, which requires decisive intervention. He referenced a recent incident at a St Catherine school where a teacher was violently attacked by a student.

“There is no excuse, no reason, no justification, for a child to attack a teacher,” he said, adding that in cases involving a history of violent behaviour, such students should be removed from the school community and the law allowed to take its course.

Malabver declared the JTA’s support for deans of discipline, expressing concern that ministry officials often appear more focused on the fate of unruly students than on the safety of teachers and administrators. He maintained that consequences are essential to behaviour change, stating that a violent student “does not deserve to have a place in that educational institution” and that “without consequences, there will be no change in behaviour”.

Echoing similar concerns, Dr Rene Level, president of the National Association of Deans of Discipline, expressed disappointment at the Government’s failure to prioritise issues affecting deans of discipline.

Speaking with The Gleaner on the sidelines of the conference, Level outlined key challenges, including salaries, lack of post numbers within the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance, and inadequate resources in schools.

“Most of the deans of discipline are without post numbers, and ... without a post number, you cannot get any motor vehicle concession, and that is one of our biggest challenges right now,” said Level.

There are approximately 131 deans of discipline affiliated with the national body.

Level stressed that safety and security must take precedence in schools.

“We want the minister of education to know that safety and security must be the number one priority in schools because once we have a safe school, then students will be able to learn, and then teachers would not have to be focussing on classroom management,” she said, adding that when teachers are forced to focus excessively on classroom management, instructional time is reduced.

Level also supported the removal of students who display maladaptive behaviour from regular classrooms, advocating for alternative institutions and professional intervention from social workers and psychologists.

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