My Corner for Education

My deepest sympathy and condolences to those victims who were killed or hurt yesterday at Virginia Tech

I am extremely upset and saddened by the tragedy at Virginia Tech! Every time when I heard about this kind of gun violence tragedy at any school, I fear for my students and my school because this kind of senseless killing always happened in a school that is so mundane and common. The matter of fact is that it could happen to any school, any ordinary schools like mine.

Even though, unlike USA, we have gun control in Canada, many inner city schools are still concerned about the gun violence infringing the education sanctuary. Last year, we had one incident at Dawson College in Montreal. A young man walked in the college and shot many in the school. Yesterday at Virginia Tech, a student did exactly the same killing with even greater magnitude of brutality.

We live in a very different society nowadays. There are many angry children who grow up to become troubled adults in our society. They blame the school system, the family, the peers and the society in general, but never about themselves! We try to promote self-reflection in education, but we still get people who blame others for things that don’t come their way. These adults generally do not take rejections or failures well. Some of them eventually become parents who don’t give a damn about others. They raise children of bullies or become bullies themselves. The powerful and strong ones brutalize others and the brutalized ones take their revenge later. Violence goes in vicious cycle that never ends. The only sad outcome is that innocent bystanders are victimized in the process of power struggle.

Throughout the years, I have seen a few odd students who seemed to be misfits in the school community. Occasionally, these students might verbalize a few threatening remarks to the teachers but then the school would discipline them for their defiant behaviors as consequences. Sometimes, their parents might be frustrated with the discipline strategies at home, but they seemed to be grateful that the school has been trying their best to help the child. 

No matter how much the school is able to provide the parents with support, we always get a few other parents who simply blame the school for everything. As a teacher, I always feel sorry for those parents or students who do not want to be helped or simply refuse to acknowledge that the problem exists. Some of these students seem to be living in a fantasy world or a ghetto environment. I fear that they will have a hard time adjusting to life or facing the reality later. What can we do?

I feel tremendous sadness for the victims and their families and friends at Virginia Tech. There is one thing I know for sure though. I would do exactly the same as one brave teacher did at Virginia Tech; I would be there to protect my students from any harm that comes their way! They are my responsibility. My students are my children at school!