Every Teacher, a PEACE Teacher

Every year, children are sent to school to learn and it is unthinkable that a child will graduate without acquiring basic skills of reading, writing and solving simple calculation problems, which are believed will equip the child for further stages of life.

Yet, most of these children graduate from school (and perhaps finish their entire academic career) without ever being formally taught how to SOLVE their basic daily conflicts.

By so doing, children fail to learn one of the most essential lessons of life: how to make peace in times of conflict (an inevitable feature of daily living).

It has quite rightly been said that, “If we don’t teach our children peace, someone else will teach them violence.’’ The implication of this is that, by failing to teach children how to peacefully resolve their everyday conflicts, we are consciously and unconsciously promoting violence.

There is therefore a need to prevent and counter violence by teaching and inspiring peace within and amongst children, every passing day, in the homes and especially the classrooms. This is one sure way to ensure that they will grow to be peace-loving youths and adults.

At the most basic level, teach children that violence does not have to happen; that there are several other ways to resolve their petty conflicts without harming or hurting others. Teach children that the following simple steps will almost always lead to peace:

·        Admit what you did was wrong.

·        Apologize for how your choice affected the other person.

·        Ask for forgiveness.

·        Think over and plan to act differently next time.

Peace starts with each one of us. Peace starts with YOU.