By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
The recent weeks have been a nightmare for both students and parents. School shootings, stabbings and all sorts of violence have made their way inside the classrooms. Even teachers were not exempted from this wave of violence. Fists have been seemingly replaced with guns and knives as they settle their disputes. How much more tragic news would we have to read had firearms not been confiscated in other schools.
In a violent environment it can be all too clear who we should paint as the enemy. In this case, the kids who brandish their weapons and use them on their fellow students are the easy targets. But as a student myself and a bit close to the generation of these violent kids, I plead for those who clamor for immediate punishment to instead support a more pragmatic solution. Simply throwing kids in jail won’t bring about meaningful results but would constitute the same act as sweeping our problems under the rug.
In a report published in Inquirer about the recent uptick in school violence, they mentioned the deterioration of the family unit as among the causes of school violence. Parents are often forced to work unholy hours with the concept of work-life balance thrown out the window just to provide for their family, this leaves the children without supervision and the transfer of proper values limited.
In times where I must go home late at night, the reality is that parents are among the many passengers I see. Since we live quite far from the city, the travel time takes up much of the time that could be spent for the bonding of child and parent, precious time that could have been spent mentoring an easily influenced and vulnerable child. Instead, tired parents go home to their children unable to talk about their experiences, what issues they are facing or if they are simply doing okay.
It’s laughable to expect a sudden action from the government to reinforce a proper work-life balance for parents. But that is exactly part of the solution needed. With a fractured leadership in this country, the root causes of this issue will be left to fester as our politicians again prioritize their own safety, their defense against corruption and bribery charges, and how they can get re-elected.
The young generation is at stake here. Our very future lies with them. How these so-called “leaders” act towards this issue shows exactly how they feel about our nation and the youth.
Even when these children are used by politicians for their own clicks and sensational news, we must be better and advocate for a proper solution. Let us not turn our backs to these misguided youths and treat them as the sole enemy. Remember that children ultimately copy adults. After all the heinous and murderous standards set by our former president, it is time to set different standards for our youths. One of rationality, mercy and accountability.
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