Time to reckon with the unravelling of order, discipline

It is more than fair to question what has gone wrong within the fabric of the Barbadian community. Increasingly, it appears that the bonds that once held this society together are fraying, perhaps even unravelling right before our eyes.

As we confront rising levels of criminality, the erosion of long-held social norms, and a disturbing disregard for the elderly and vulnerable, we must pause as a nation and seriously reflect on what kind of society we are becoming.

Some may be tempted to dismiss these concerns as alarmist or dramatic. But the frequency and brazenness of recent events make such a dismissal naïve. We are no longer dealing with isolated incidents of deviant behaviour; we are witnessing a pattern of decline that is becoming difficult to ignore.

When elderly citizens—some in their eighties—can be assaulted, robbed, and brutalised in broad daylight on busy streets, or targeted as they drive along our roads at night, something has gone deeply wrong. These are not just crimes; they are symptoms of a deeper societal malaise.

In just the past 48 hours, two young men were gunned down, and a 19-year-old cricketer is fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being shot in the head. These are not just tragic incidents—they represent a national wake-up call. How many more must die before we take collective action?

In another unsettling episode, a Sanitation Service Authority truck driver was robbed at gunpoint while he and his team were simply doing their jobs collecting rubbish in Chapel, St Philip. If such brazen acts can occur while essential workers carry out public service duties, where is the line anymore?

This cannot be the kind of society we choose to tolerate. Yet there are signs that many Barbadians are growing desensitised to the issues. Daily reports of crime and violence are being met with ambivalence, as if we have come to accept this as part and parcel of a modern society. A society that fails to uphold shared standards or insist on a sense of civic responsibility is one headed in the wrong direction.

Equally pressing is the troubling breakdown of discipline and respect within our schools. Increasing numbers of reports point to schoolchildren arriving habitually late, failing to attend classes, or worse—engaging in harassment and violence against the very teachers charged with shaping their futures.

It is important to acknowledge that part of the problem lies in an unreliable public transport system, especially in rural areas where children struggle with inadequate service. However, it would be intellectually dishonest to stop there. We must also examine the harmful influence of the so-called “minibus culture.” The blasting of sexually explicit and violent lyrics on public service vehicles, the frequent unruliness of operators all contribute to the normalising of this antisocial behaviour.

This is not to suggest that the public transport sector bears the sole responsibility for what is unfolding in our schools—but it is complicit. When children are exposed daily to disrespect, aggression, and vulgarity before they even arrive at school, can we truly be surprised when they mirror those behaviours in the classroom?

There is a growing consensus among teachers that something must give. A recent letter made public by staff at one secondary school speaks volumes. It referred to “physical abuse being meted out to teachers.” The staff lamented the absence of meaningful disciplinary action and the slowness in addressing the issues. “Students are being empowered,” the letter warned, by the failure to maintain order and discipline.

When educators do not feel safe and supported, there can be no positive educational outcomes. Instead, we risk fostering a generation that neither respects authority nor recognises boundaries.

Barbados cannot afford to stand idly by. The time for hand-wringing has passed. What we now need is action—swift and bold.