Kontronfi: Who is to blame for Students' bad behaviour - parents, teachers or students?

In the jungle all animals decided to carve a drum. Their lead dancer was the sagely Tortoise.

At any gathering, the Tortoise was the side of attraction. And to showcase his talent to guests at the impending durbar, the Tortoise requested for a new drum, as the Odomankoma, God Almighty Himself will be present to witness the pomp and pageantry of the day.

Mr Tortoise will surely introduce a new dance moves, and the drummers will likely skin alive the naughty deer to refit torn drums.

All the animals agreed to contribute with their strength and knowledge to furnish a beautiful and well sounding drum.

As the work progressed, even Kwaku Ananse, the hitherto cunning creature who never participated in communal labour was seen by the king, the Mighty Lion, as the dissembling insect held a knife to scrape on the wooden drum.

Amazingly, Kwaku Ananse drew the attention of the animals to the absence of Kontrofi (the ugly monkey) who had been spotted swinging up and down in the woods.

Upon completion of the craftily drum, the wise Tortoise assembled all the animals and rhetorically chipped in that, as now we are done with our musical instrument, we will charge the ugliest amongst us to carry it to the durbar grounds, so it will be hideous to our enemies.

Suddenly, the lazy Kontronfi owned up and protested that: as for me, my neck is paining me. I cannot carry any drum today.

As well as its sounding funny, it was also true that Kontronfi was the ugliest among all the animals.

Who the cap fits let them wear it, sung the legendary Bob Marley.

On the 14th day of February, 2024, as the president of Old Students' Association, I represented my School's Alumni at the Parents' Association (formerly PTA) meeting.

The top of the agenda teachers and parents wanted addressed was lack of discipline among the students, especially those who played truancy and ran from campus without permission.

Worried by mortifying stories that some students were even engaging in promiscuity after sneaking to town, the Chairman of the Parents' Association proposed that, if he will be supported, students who sneak to town when apprehended should be charged to bring a bag of cement to start building an unbreakable wall for the school. He cited examples of some schools that collect up to ten bags of cement for same offences.

As I sat right behind the chairman, reading the countenance and approvals of parents to this deterring law proffered by their leader, almost all the parents were unison in their objection of the punitive measures.

They agreed that: "we can't pay such amount" (sic).

I was lost there at the moment, and questioned myself if indeed parents love their wards, and indeed take them to school to be disciplined.

In the olden days, when chiefs and elders of the village wanted to stem deviancy, or warn their young daughters and sons against going out in the night for obvious reasons, they can contract servants to carry a coffin to walk about at odd and ungodly hours.

The sight of the coffin scared people. Those who woe betides and are accosted by the pallbearers, spotting the symbol of death, will gravely fear thence leaving home when parents are enjoying their precious sleep.

Laws are not made only to punish those who flout it, but to serve chiefly as a deterrent to will-be-offenders.

No teacher or headmaster will look at the misery situation of a parent and collect a bag of cement for the insubordination of his or her child at school.

But announcing such punitive measures could go a long way to if not eliminate, minimise bad behaviour on the campus.

Here sits parents. Their only fear is that they will in turn pay for the costs incurred by their wards for flouting the rules.

They have missed the golden opportunity that will give leverage to teachers to tame their children for proper and disciplinary nurturing.

Who benefits in the end when students gain the rewards for which they were sent to school, teachers or parents?

A word to the wise is enough.
By Charles Yeboah (Sir Lord)
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