Children’s Commissioner Helen D’Amato yesterday said that misbehaviour or inappropriate behaviour in class should not be misinterpreted, or even more so, generalised by educators.
The Commissioner was reacting to a series of articles by The Malta Independent outlining embarrassing situations that teachers are faced with in the classroom nowadays.
Earlier this month, in comments to this newspaper, a number of teachers had expressed that youngsters today are talking openly about their rights, and perhaps forgetting their duty. In addition, teachers spoke of a number of situations which can potentially put their career in jeopardy, amongst which harassment and sexualised behaviour by students. Also, in yesterday’s edition of The Malta Independent, clinical psychologist Rose Galea said that media content is providing a form of sexual education that might be harmful to youngsters and which may encourage aggressive behaviour, especially in students suffering from neglect.
However, Mrs D’Amato, a teacher herself, said that although misbehaviour should not be tolerated, teachers should not generalise, or speak ill of children, stressing that children do not in any way have excessive rights. “They have as much rights as anyone else. And should they be corrected, it should be done with a sense of respect and dignity.”
“In situations of inappropriate behaviour, the adult, whether it is the teacher or the parent, should address the specific case and seek to analyse what caused such behaviour - the context within which it happened and the background of the child in question. Often at times, the student is merely seeking some sort of attention. There is always a reason,” she added.
Mrs D’Amato stressed that regular misbehaviour should not be excused with the misperception that it is merely a characteristic of the child in question. It needs to be properly acknowledged.
The commissioner added that when children are taught about their rights, they are always reminded that their rights should not serve as a negative consequence for others, and they need to be aware of the people around them, be it peers or adults.
The children’s rights course RIGHTS 4U aims to do just that. The course takes place in the form of a three-day live in, organised by the office of the commissioner for children is now in its 10th consecutive year. Through a three day initiative, a total of 120 young people aged between 13 and 15 will participate in various activities and discussions, allowing them to develop critical thinking skills, build social ties and implement concepts such as respect.
This year’s theme focuses on the safe use of new technologies, as well as the downfalls of such technologies, such as cyber bullying, or explicit media content.
Visiting the live-in, minister for family and social solidarity Michael Farrugia, made specific reference to harassment on teachers, and said that such situations should be addressed immediately. Furthermore, he added a new legislation will aim to protect those ending up victims of cyber bullying.