Reference no: EM132628311

Stop the brawls - NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

Fiji TimesFred Wesley Thursday, April 06, 2017

EDUCATION Minister Dr. Mahendra Reddy is right to be concerned about brawls involving students during sporting activities. He said they could make the ministry reconsider having such events at national level. Brawls, he said, were unfortunate, especially in the face of the general effort to foster good sportsmanship. He said it was disheartening to see children not being able to control their temper, and subsequently engaging in physical exchanges.

While it is a concern that should effectively draw the attention of parents, guardians and teachers alike, it is encouraging to see a proactive stance being taken to address it at the school level. Action includes talking to students and teachers leading up to major events such as the annual Fiji secondary schools athletics finals. It involves reminding students not to misbehave, and could possibly include putting in place action that sees an increased number of teachers being part of such events.

Should it end there though? Perhaps, we should add our bit as parents and guardians to facilitate this positive effort to rope in our children, and to remind them of how they are expected to behave at such events. Understandably, there will be questions hovering over why some students actually behave that way though. Could it be solely attributed to peer pressure? How then do we effectively deal with that line of thought?

Could it be a reflection of society in general? Surely we are not developing young men and women who are aggressive and aren't able to control their emotions under stressful situations. That would set a dangerous scenario moving forward. While there are many factors that will come into play, we hope this is something that can be addressed positively. It is never easy to keep emotions in check, and not allow it to dictate our actions though. The warning by the police force of action against anyone involved in such brawls should serve as a deterrent.

Are our children actually prepared to listen to advice though? We hope every effort is made to address this worrying issue leading up to the Fiji Finals on April 20 - 22. While the ideal scenario is one where students are well-behaved, the reality can be very different. Surely the onus will be on us as parents, guardians, and teachers to take the lead role and be examples for our children.

Would it be fair to say that respect, humility, value and appreciation of the rights of others are factors that need a bit of a nudge to bring them back to where they belong in the nurturing of our young? We should be part of the solution!

QUESTIONS

1. Identify one ethical issue in the newspaper article and relate this issue to the concept of ethical interconnectedness. answer should include a definition of this concept.

2. Evaluate the character of two people (or groups/institutions) in the article using the theory of virtue ethics. An explanation of this theory is necessary.

3. Discuss the wrongdoing in the newspaper article by referring to the theory of deontology . Include a definition of this theory.

4. How would a utilitarian respond to the newspaper article?Include a definition of this theory.

5. Analyse two approaches of governance referred to in the article and critically evaluate two principles of governance that is being compromised.