Well, I think once again this issue does not differ from the other issues we have just talked about. We need the effort of everyone to work together to ensure that we bring about discipline. I think if all sectors can work together - with no sector lagging behind - we can bring back discipline in schools.
Children need to be brought up within an environment of discipline. I think parents in particular have to play a role in terms of ensuring that their children are disciplined. Once the teachers themselves - led by the principal of course - stick to discipline in schools in every respect, it is going to be very difficult for kids to misbehave all the time.
So, I think we have to work together to ensure that discipline becomes the rule of every school. We have to state what we should do collectively if kids do not adhere to discipline so that we can help the children themselves, as well as the teachers.
We need to create an environment that lives within the discipline in schools. I think there are times when it is difficult to do so. There are anecdotes that people would give, where there would be no collective effort to deal with a matter. I was once at a school where kids were misbehaving and fighting, and the parents were divided on the issue. Some wanted to side with their kids and others did not. When I asked the principal about this he said the fact that the parents were divided on the issue was basically the problem, and that he did not know what to do.
So, I am saying that we need a collective effort - all of us - to create the non-negotiable with the kids. Therefore, everybody should understand that we must do something about a child who does not behave at school. In the past, as you say, teachers would ask you to open your hand, and they would do something to the hand. That is no longer done. Then we need to state what needs to be done in order to ensure that discipline comes back. I think if children do not find any favours anywhere, they will be in a position to behave. [Applause.]