The Ripple Effect

Daddy, Don’t Play with Guns

While most parents would succumb to the demands of their young sons to buy robots and toy guns, a certain area in Cotabato City is replacing all the students’ toy guns with seedlings.

The J. Marquez School of Peace in Cotabato City implemented the Kids no to Toy Guns program as part of their peace education system. Toy guns have been a favorite toy of most young boys for several years; however the peace educators recognize that this mere fascination of their students for such toy is an unhealthy start for them, given the erratic peace and order situation in their community.

One teacher shared that dead bodies can be seen randomly in some communities. Almost every family, regardless of economic status owns a gun. The younger generations are already witnesses to the number of violence and killings in their area. Even the students are violent, themselves. A petty fight between students involves blood most of the time.

Teacher Marge, who has taught Grade 1 to Grade 6 pupils in the said school, recalled that time when she was called inside a classroom where a fight between two Grade 6 students. She saw one student with a table on top of his head, with blood dripping on one side of his temple. According to her, students were not afraid to inflict any form of physical pain to their fellow students.

Being tools for social reform, the teachers from the J Marquez School of Peace were more than determined to initiate a program that can save at least the younger generations from notorious practices when they become adults. There is always a point in a child’s life when they dread the teacher more than their parents. “Teacher” is always right. Parents even use teacher’s name just to make their children do an assignment or project. This image of an educator was a salient contribution to the smooth implementation of the programs.

Toy guns brought inside school premises were confiscated by the teachers. But this rule was not imposed arbitrarily. Everything was done through a gradual, child-oriented process. In every grade level, peace values are richly integrated in subjects like Hekasi, Values Education, and even Mathematics (hands down!). Through this, the teachers were confident that the students understood clearly why they were prohibited to play with toy guns.

The results of the Kids no to Toy Guns program are justly inspiring. Teacher Merge testified that their then-notorious children grew more aware and cautious of their behaviors. The best part is, the children themselves are alarmed when they see their father hold a gun. Every parent knows how influential a child can be, especially when they start talking like “Ayaw gamit ug baril, Pa. Bad man na. (Don’t use a gun, Pa. That’s bad).” 

One parent admitted that he was really embarrassed when his child said that. 

Kids no to Toy Guns have gone tremendously far. Indeed, it is easier to mold someone (for the better) if their innocence is still intact. Children are clean slates. They take in whatever you feed them, and this has been the greatest edge of the program.

This program is but a minute component of the entire Peace Education system in Mindanao, implemented by the Action for Conflict Transformation for Peace program. However, this kind of strategy is among those that are very likely to create a ‘ripple effect,’  and yet not getting the attention it deserves.

During my brief interview with teacher Marge, I lost my cynical self. Now, I’m starting to think that if only all teachers, parents, and government officials see things the way Teacher Marge and her colleagues does,  we can have peace and development  in our hands, through tiny yet strategic steps – and maybe, just maybe, box it in so we won’t lose it again. 

"If we think beyond ourselves, we become better " -Dr. Eligio