It is my belief that crime can be lowered in our country. The murders, theft and sexual assaults can all be drastically decreased. I have written about this topic several times, and think it is imperative that I reiterate a few principles I shared over the years. It is up to us to put our words into action. The religious leaders can keep on praying, but they must start acting. The educators must do more than teach, they must model good behavior. The legislators must do more than pass laws. They must live the laws and make sure the laws are enforced. Parents must set a good example of self-discipline, unconditional love and acceptance, consistency and non-violence.
It is my view that the increase of crime can be due to the lack of basic education in too many of our citizens, the lack of unconditional acceptance and the inept ability of the judiciary to enforce existing laws. However, if I can pinpoint two of the top reasons for the increase in crime it would be poor parenting and a high level of illiteracy — social and intellectual. In this article I will emphasize, as I did a decade ago, the importance of basic education that will truly illuminate illiteracy and this lower crime.
Why is the ability to read, write and comprehend so important? Simple: It facilitates reasoning. Language is the medium by which we express thoughts and feelings. If one cannot formulate language, there is frustration. I have observed that men or women who cannot articulate their thoughts and feelings in an effective manner are usually the more violent ones.
The three R’s
Have you ever heard about the three “R’s”, which are really the basic measurement of education for everyone — reading, writing and arithmetic. In addition, basic education is the successful completion of grade 12-level standard schoolwork. It is not a choice. Unfortunately, too many parents and young people believe, based on what they have been told by so-called by responsible adults, that there are two kinds of basic education — academic and technical. They suggest that if the child is academically inclined, likes to read, write and do arithmetic, then that child can do academic classes and become a teacher, lawyer, doctor, etc. However, if the child is not academically inclined, has difficulty or shows little or no interest in learning how to read with comprehension and write expressively, then let the child learn carpentry, painting, plumbing, masonry, etc. How can one calculate the dimensions of a wall and the needed amount of cement and blocks required to build that wall if one cannot read or write? Reading, writing and calculating are basic to everything we do.
It is sad that a very large percentage of students “completing” public high school in The Bahamas finish with a grade point average (GPA) of less than 2.00. I challenge you to observe their behavior as they leave school to the ones with much higher GPAs. The ones with lower GPAs will be more likely to be involved in violent crimes that those with higher GPAs. This is serious.
I have heard people expressing themselves on the streets, in debating halls and even on radio talk shows, that if someone is not academically inclined, then let him/her go to technical school to acquire a skill. What a dangerous misconception of education. This practice has actually turned our educational system into a giant crime-generating mill. We now have a generation of young men and women who cannot articulate their feelings, read simple instructions or respond wisely to moments of crisis. We have created an ugly, dangerous monster.
Social promotion is wrong
Promoting students to the next grade at the end of the school term when they are below the accepted GPA for promotion (known as “social promotion”) has made a joke out of basic education in The Bahamas. It has created a disinterested approach to learning and has caused too many of our citizens to focus on surviving instead of on being significant. One would do anything to survive in a society where one perceives, based on one’s limited ability to reason, that no one understands or treats him fairly. When one is not equipped with the tools to reason, read with comprehension, write intelligently or calculate, that person perceives that the world is his enemy and thinks he must do whatever it takes to get on top of those what are oppressing him. These individuals are responding to the world around them based on external stimuli (extrinsic values) and their responses may include violence.
Being significant is a higher level of self-governance. It’s governing oneself based on reasonable internal values and sound ethical principles. It is the involvement of higher thinking level, reasoning and decision making, which lead one to becoming a positive, significant entity in society. This can only be accomplished through the achievement of basic education. Our public educational system has implied that one can become significant without the successful completion of basic education. This is a lie. When people cannot read, critically evaluate, articulate their feelings or opinions, their self-worth is at a critical low.
Individuals who did not have an opportunity to learn how to read or write but still value the need for education often regret that they did not have the opportunity to learn how to read or write and find ways to make up their deficiencies through an intelligent approach to life.
Research indicates that educational reform does reduce crime. It is imperative to understand that a major component of education includes not only making students but making teachers and administrators accountable for success or failure. Teaching methodologies, principals’ and teachers’ attitudes and skills, are at the core to educational reform. When teachers and school principals are held accountable for the outcome of their students, I believe we will begin to see a difference in our community. The kind of accountability for school principals may include not increasing salaries if a school receives a low-grade rating and releasing a principal if a school has a low grade rating for more than three years.
• Barrington H. Brennen is a marriage and family therapist and board certified clinical psychotherapist, U.S.A. Send your questions or comments to barringtonbrennen@gmail.com; write to P.O. Box CB-13019, Nassau, The Bahamas; or visit www.soencouragement.org; or call 327-1980 or 477-4002.
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