Mico cautions against rush to condemn in teacher-student clashes

The Mico University College is cautioning educators, parents, and the wider public against having knee-jerk reactions to incidents of student-teacher violence. This warning comes against the background of a number of videos showing clashes between teachers and pupils at school.

In a press statement on Wednesday, Mico University College President Dr Asburn Pinnock noted that there has been a polarising of opinions as the nation reacted to the viral videos. He said that many Jamaicans bemoan the current state of the local education sector, referencing the days when a student would never physically attack a teacher, regardless of the circumstance. Others, he added, were concerned about the classroom-management capacity of some of the teachers involved in these incidents, seeing it as an indictment on the profession.

Symptoms of a deeper problem

Pinnock said that as a country, Jamaica is failing to recognise deep psychosocial issues affecting education and other sectors, adding that acts of violence are symptoms of a deeper problem.

“What we have is an imminent mental illness pandemic, amplified by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which needs to be addressed urgently. We are busy focusing on the economic gap and social deficit; however, if we are not careful, the mental and social issues will undermine any prospect of economic recovery,” he emphasised.

As the oldest teacher-training institution in the Western Hemisphere, The Mico places heavy weighting on the psychosocial development of the emerging teachers in all its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. All trainee teachers at the 186-year-old institution must also submit to psychometric evaluation, and counsellors, mentors, and advisers help to preserve their mental well-being as they engage with the Mico environment and prepare to work in schools.

All programmes at The Mico have a classroom-management component, and students are taught how to de-escalate potentially hostile situations. They also learn how to identify students’ cries for help, which are often disguised as negative behaviours, as well as how to apply behaviour-modification strategies and develop behaviour intention plans for students.

Faculty of Education Dean Dr Karren Foster underscored the fact that increased psychosocial stressors make both teachers and students more vulnerable to meltdowns and it is easier for them to reach their tipping point.

“This is why classroom management is such an important part of the programme for the soon-to-be teachers, and the mandatory practicum gives them first-hand experience of real-life classroom situations, working with actual students in school,” Foster highlighted.

Academic advising is available to all students, and they are tracked, and where necessary, monitored even after they officially become teachers.

Currently, more than 50 per cent of teachers in Jamaican institutions are graduates of The Mico University College.