When you have successfully gone through a secondary education system and you see how some of your classmates behave; how they treat their teachers; and their attitude towards their schoolwork — if you are anything like I was then you’d shriek at their uncouth behaviour and perhaps even lose hope in humanity. In fact, the thought becomes even more daunting and detrimental when you realise that these untamed individuals will be the adults of tomorrow.

Schools are society’s incubator. This simple statement posits that schools are a birthing ground where behaviours and personalities are nurtured. They reflect the wider society through their various clubs and programmes. And where they have principles, structures, and sanctions, these mimic the wider society’s judicial and penal system.

Similarly, to the wider society, in schools you will find corruption, but at that level we desensitise it and call it bias or favouritism. This can be seen with high academic achievers and star athletes who receive special treatment or exemption from sanctions; the common teacher’s pet; and voting in clubs and societies or for the position of class monitor based on friendship, popularity or teacher ‘influence’.

Further, you often find in schools the emergence of bullies and cliques which eventually morph into society’s menaces and gangs. In fact, many of the gang habits are learnt at school. Students steal, fight, vend, and extort, and where there is no reasonable sanction these delinquents become empowered and are given time to hone their craft. Resultantly, it can be said that schools groom society’s monsters.

Recently, an altercation occurred between some students of the track team and a physics teacher at Calabar High School over some mattresses during a physics/track camp. Notwithstanding the nitty-gritty, my concern arises from the fact that the athletes felt empowered enough to get confrontational with a teacher. Furthermore, by its inaction, the credibility of the teacher was debased by the school’s administration because it seemingly conflicted with that of these star athletes — the ”school’s ambassadors”, as they have been called by the acting principal.

Eventually the students were suspended, but under the condition that they are able to attend athletics training.

When I used to attend the institution a suspension meant staying home and being prohibited from participating in school events for the duration of the suspension. But it seems because the concerned individuals are track athletes these terms were preferred.

What message are we sending to the students who will be tomorrow’s leaders? Are we saying that it is acceptable to break the rules based on our societal position? This type of behaviour only proliferates the corruption and disorder which already exists within the country.

Quite interestingly, another incident came to light recently, according to the Jamaica Observer, in which a student was expelled for selling. It was alleged that he was selling an illegal substance in his products, though according to the same source there was insufficient evidence.

In light of the previous incident we are now left asking why was he expelled, but the athletes received a pat on the shoulder for allegedly assaulting a teacher?

My focus is not to prey on Calabar, or any other school specifically, but rather to shed light on the level of corruption which may exist within our schools. We are tasked with training tomorrow’s leaders, but may very well, instead, groom monsters.

Based on my experience at all the schools that I have attended, athletes, at large, are usually blatantly in violation of school rules and codes of conduct; regarding hairstyle, uniform adjustments, disrespect, truancy, you name it. Yet, they often continue to take residence at the institutions, and those who receive the boot usually are not star performers. So what kind of leaders are we creating?

Quite frankly, I have many problems with the education system, and what annoys me the most is that when the Ministry of Education does surveys which highlight the issues nothing ever changes. And do you know why? The answer is simple, really, nothing will ever truly change because the education system, as it stands, benefits individual interests.

All in all, it is undeniable that schools play a preponderant role in the construction of our society, particularly through the hidden curriculum. And until we become deliberate about the hidden curriculum and properly groom our students, nothing will change.

Again, what type of leaders are we creating?

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country. — Kurt Vonnegu.

Romane Elliston is a writer and motivational speaker. Send comments to the Observer or ellistonpolyglot@gmail.com.