The Education Ministry is calling on parents to take more responsibility in ensuring their children are properly disciplined.

The Education Ministry is calling on parents to take more responsibility in ensuring their children are properly disciplined.

Minister Rosy Akbar says despite a decline in disciplinary issues in schools last year, the matter still remains a challenge for teachers.

She says the ministry does not tolerate corporal punishment.

“Personally, I believe that parents need to step up in their roles in ensuring discipline starts within their homes.  Again as a teacher, I also experience there’s too much expectations of teachers from the communities and parents. So let us work together if parents fulfill their roles and we as a ministry fulfill our roles I am sure we can work better in instilling discipline in our children.”

The Minister says there is also ongoing discussions to recruit retired teachers to act as mentors in schools.

“It is my wish to get on board some of our retirees, headteachers, and head of schools and teachers who have been known to make a difference in the institutions and in the education sector. So we are still in the process and we will be identifying and using them as roving mentors to assist our head of schools to run their schools.”

The Education Ministry will this year monitor the quality of service delivery in schools across the various divisions and districts.