School violence and 'collective sanctions'

A new school year and a shocking beginning for the parents of students of "el-Tawgehy"  at the National Orthodox School (And I am one of them). The school does not accept the registration of any student unless five hundred dinars additional expense "insurance" is paid. The insurance is to repair the damage caused by graduates on the last day of the Year "in celebration of the end of the study phase and the school.” School administration justified its "arbitrary decision" with the size of school damage at the end of each school year and by final year students in particular, and the difficulty of obtaining appropriate compensation from the students’ parents. It confirms that the value of the damage is greater than what the school budget can afford. What the school management is saying is true, and quite true... We have heard from our children shameful stories of what happens in the "last day revenge" operations with each teacher who has been harsh on a student, for every punishment suffered by a student and every low grade a student obtained... A final moment of reckoning for a decade or more of study. Year after year, ruin and destruction increases. The "issue" started with things closer to laughing and silly pranks but then turned  destructive and ended with beatings, crushings and sabotage and school violence. However, the prevalence of a phenomena of this kind does not justify a respectable educational institution in which tens of thousands of talented and successful students graduated, to impose "collective punishment" on students and their parents for every graduate acting in a criminal way. There is at least nine students leaving their school with the feelings of affection, gratitude and nostalgia. It is not acceptable that they receive the same treatment and punishment. Some parents tried to resist the administration's decision including some whose financial situation is good. They were all upset about the idea itself and got angry by the idea of "collective punishment", some even spoke of transferring their children to other schools but the administration still did not listen to the parent's objections and did not take their "threats" seriously. The school is aware that it is controlling the situation and that parents will not take any decision that would have a negative impact on the study of their children in their final year. The result is that parents submitted to the school’s will. However, this annoyed them and destroyed their holiday and their new school year. The abuse of what they believed to be their rights and authority has become great. In addition, many lost the feelings of belonging to an education institute. I know personally families who enrolled for three generations. The truth is that those who follow the state of our schools (before our universities) cannot blame the schools administrations alone. Violence in old age, starts from a young age and school violence and attacks on teachers and property has become a growing phenomenon. Schools as many institutions are no longer capable of imposing requested prestige over their students nor are they in a position to punish offenders, outlaws and those who do not comply to public order. Some students come to school armed with society legacies that predate the state which was originally a cultural issue of "every problem having a hundred solutions" and problems that are not solved through a mediator and "Almokhajlah" (shamefulness) are solve by a cup of black coffee, even if the problem may have involved some bloodshed. We understand what the school and all our schools mean, and what was revealed by our colleague Musab Shawabka in his investigation of cheating, forgery and abuse of the sanctity of the examination and its halls, is a matter of panic but we do not see the solution in a system of collective punishment that is contrary to the legal requirement that no one carries the burden of someone else’s fault. The one who caused the damage alone should pay the fine and moral and criminal prosecution. The state should support this trend and enable schools to restore sanctity and prestige. The school has students’ documents and papers which are stronger and sharper than the five hundred dinars which enables it to make the parents pay the compensation even against their will. --- The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.