Rebuttal of Government for the motion parents should be responsible for their

school-going childrens discipline problems.

Miss/Mr. ______________ (1st speaker) of the oppostition stated that blame is to be
placed on children themselves, and not the parents. What she said is all sizzle
and no steak, because her whole speech is a mess of words that cannot be
deciphered properly even by the keenest listener. How do you blame mere
children that do no understand the consequence to their actions unless told?
Besides this, the 1st oppostion speaker has unconsiously agreed to our stand by
saying: parents have to be a very good role model to their children. Parents are
responsible for their school-going childrens discipline problems. Indirectly, they
have to be good role models. As my 1st speaker has said, the clich Do as I say,
dont do what I do is irrelevant to children at the developmental stage.
Once again I patiently repeat, for the sake of the simple-minded debators from
the opposition, that children are innocent creatures. They do NOT know why
simply throwing toys around is wrong. You have to tell them. Thus parents who
have abdicated their responsibilities and deprive children of the support,
guidance and discipline they need most will cause them to be unruly.
Furthermore, the 1st oppostion speaker had asked an interesting question at one
point: Can you name a school in Malaysia that doesnt have discipline problems?
My superb answer for this question is: Home schools. Home schools do not have
serious discipline problems to account for. It is stupid and relatively shallow to
generalise discipline problems in schools like this.

Miss/Mr._______________(2nd speaker) of the opposition mentioned that peer

pressure is directly responsible for the involvement in unhealthy activities of kids
above 14 years of age . The reason this is deplorable is because according to
Steinberg and Silverberg, adolescents are less influenced by friends when they
have close and involving relationships with their parents. It is up to parents,
argues Steinberg to determine how sucessful their child will become by shaping
the childs attitude towards school in deed and word. As brought up by my first
speaker, the first 6 years of a childs life would determine the rest of his/her life.
Mounts and Steinberg in 1995, stated that authorative parenting encourages
adolescents to be less succeptible to peer influence (unacceptable behaviours).
To further reinforce my point, I shall quote Napoleon Bonaparte: Where firmness
is sufficient, rashness is unnecessary. Thus, it is undeniable that parents play a
crucial role in the civic development of a child and are responsible for their
school-going childrens discipline problems. Allow me to repeat the governments
stand, parents are the first teachers and have the most impactful influence on
their children.
Moreover, the 2nd speaker of the opposing team had said: teenagers struggle
with moral issues and this leads them to establish a deep devotion to their peers.
Quoting an excerpt from the book of Proverbs, Train up a child in the way he
should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. I reaffirm with ease that

parents are responsible for laying the proper foundation in the early years of a
child.
Written by Phoebe (28/2/2011)