Reculturing drive to shape positive student behaviour

Having been expelled from two schools and on the brink of being kicked from a third, a youngster previously on a wayward path was among instructors at a recent two-week camp aimed at rehabilitating more than 150 students with behavioural issues, like it had done for him.

The Youth Behavioural Modification Camp, which was held at Race Course Primary School in Clarendon from July 18 to 31, was aimed at transforming the outlook of the students deemed problematic by school administrators and enable them to resume classes in the normal school setting come September.

The students, some of whom were on suspension, were drawn from schools across the island to participate in the 100 per-cent volunteer-led camp. They had been recommended for the programme by principals, teachers, deans of discipline, parents, community leaders, and even peers.

Among the success stories of the camp, which is in its 12th year, was that of the youngster from a junior high school in St Andrew on the verge of a third expulsion when his participation in the intervention programme was organised through his dean of discipline.

“The BIDS (Behavioural Intervention Disciplinary Support) Programme was contacted, arrangements made and the youngster went through the summer camp. If the intervention netted positive behavioural and attitudinal success, the agreement would be for him to be re-integrated into his school, be assigned an officer who would supervise him once or twice per week,” Mickoyon Paisley, chief brigade commander at the National Interschool Brigade Movement (NIBM), told The Gleaner.

This youngster eventually joined the Cadet Unit, and the officer followed him through his high-school years. Today, he is one of the programme’s instructors, with seven Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects and looking forward to enlisting in the Jamaica Defence Force.

Another success story was that of a student from a prominent Kingston-based high school who was referred by the school after he had sent nude and other pornographic images to a teacher and could not see anything wrong with such an action.

A one-on-one session at the camp opened his eyes.

“He had control over a lot of things but none over his mind. He identified the problem and even thought of a solution,” said Paisley. “He was given an opportunity to speak to three students with similar actions of allowing their minds to direct them to do wrong, and the impact was tremendous.”

MOTIVATED BY SUCCESS

Successes such as these motivate Paisley and other volunteers to return to work with the students year after year.

For the duration of the camp, the students were engaged in group and one-on-one counselling, motivational talks, sports development, and a healing circle, among other sessions supported by personnel from entities such as the Ministry of Education and Youth and RISE Life Management.

At nights, they participated in games and other fun activities, such as karaoke, at the camp, which was supported by the Jamaica Broilers Group; the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission, through RISE Life; Food for The Poor Jamaica; the Jamaica Biscuit Company, and other sponsors.

The NIBM was established in 2000. with the Behaviour Modification Unit initiated in 2012 after it was engaged by Holy Trinity High School to establish an early preventative programme to help prevent negative behavioural patterns among its first-formers from progressing to the other grades.

The camp was overseen by NIBM Chairman Reverend Leonardo Thompson, NIBM Interim Executive Director Kerinth Campbell, and NIBM Programme Director Kemoy Reid.

cecelia.livingston@gleanerjm.com