Tardiness is an issue here. So much so that the other day, two high schools locked out students who showed up late. They were also shut out for uniform infractions. Here’s the principal of one of the high schools:

Ruel Reid, principal of Jamaica College, said that he has had to demonstrate tough love at the all-boy institution. He recalled the backlash he faced from angry parents who accused him of trying to deny their children of an education.

“My position has always been, yes, you have a right to this education, but to access that right, you need to be disciplined,” he stressed.

“I don’t want to produce educated criminals. I want to produce educated young men that are going to contribute positively to the society and the world,” Reid emphasised.

Here is the counterpoint, with which I agree to a certain extent. It is not safe for students to be set free to wander the streets all day:

Executive director of the National Parenting Commission, Dr Patrece Charles-Freeman, agreed, questioning whether school administrators have security measures in place for students after they are locked out.

“Are you on the phone calling everybody’s parents because the school must ensure the safety of the students they have locked out,” Charles-Freeman told The Gleaner.

So there are two approaches to this issue: discipline will groom students to respect the rules, once and for all. Discipline is necessary, but must not endanger students and must also rely on parents or guardians to enforce rules and respect.

I am not sure what the answer is, but it is definitely not a good idea for youth to have nowhere to go or nothing to do all day.