Education, without a doubt, is a key factor in the building of good productive citizens who help to keep a community growing toward a better place.

Here in Bermuda, so much has changed over the last 50 years, especially in the field of education and the challenges for teachers, that it is hard to know what can possibly be done to regain better control and focus in order to recapture some of the qualities of the past that produced successful citizens despite significant social setbacks.

These days with computers everywhere, a cell phone in every hand, along with countless electronic games, some with graphic violence, plus access to just about anything in the adult world, the mindset of many youngsters is wobbly because some wonder what really matters in the world today.

Some 50 or sixty years ago there was greater community support for teachers. Today, that support has been waning to a point where some parents need to be subpoenaed for a PTA meeting. Hats off to those parents doing their best to keep a good line of communication with the teacher, because without that close link, a child can easily slip through the gap of inattention, when it is most needed.

Adding to the challenge is that too many parents feel as long as the child is in school, everything will be all right. The teacher is not a miracle worker, and along with a curriculum they must follow, they also are challenged with unruly behaviour that only makes their job more difficult.

This is not to say teaching today is a nightmare, but there are far too many nightmares in teaching due to a lack of discipline and respect which should begin in the home. On top of this, there are some parents who are prepared to wage war with a teacher, before fully checking out details involving an incident with their child.

We live in a short circuit confrontational society at times, and violence even with students is first choice in dealing with a problem. We know this is wrong, but such instincts often have been allowed to develop unchecked by parents who are either too busy, or too tired to be bothered.

Sadly in some cases it is a Magistrate who is finally confronted with trying to bring those who cross the line, back into the community. In the old days things were not perfect, but those who experienced the discipline back then would be quick to say it helped to keep them on the straight and narrow.

Many schools today have counsellors for problem children which is good. However some parents might be in need of counselling themselves. Not because they are failures, but because they could be under great stress trying to make ends meet in a tough world, where a drop in the economy and job losses is a crucial factor in their lives.

We can easily forget that teachers are human beings also, with families of their own, and they need all the support they can possibly get from Government and the community. Many who are not teachers would be hard pressed to spend an hour in some class rooms, without needing special services from a particular medical facility afterwards.

The suggestion that a longer school year might help to improve grades and results is well intentioned, but should be very carefully thought out. The current summer break, which I certainly enjoyed as a youngster, might be the last frontier for teachers to recuperate and regroup, while families should use that space for bonding through vacations or other shared activities.

It is not a question of how long the school year is, but how effective the system is when students are in class. Unruly students, are stumbling blocks for teachers and those who want to apply themselves. Teachers are faced with trying to control problem children and teach. No rocket scientist is needed to know that these days that is more than a challenge.

Our education machine cannot run without teachers many of whom go the extra mile to assist students knowing the reward will come with their success as they strive to achieve. Happily each year, students who stay to the wicket are able to travel abroad for further study, and many of these hopefully will return as role models for others.

We owe much to teachers, but without full support from parents and the community the system will not be as effective as it could be.