WHEN YOU MEET 15-YEAR-OLD PAUL FRANKLIN, he will dispel the myth that all teenaged boys do not care about their deportment.

The fourth form Harrison College student is living proof that young men can take pride in their uniform, their school and, most importantly, in themselves.

Paul explained that from a very early age his mother Kim Webster trained him to dress appropriately. That meant that his hair was brushed, shoes polished and clothes clean and neatly pressed; therefore it has become a part of who he is.

So passionate is Paul about looking tidy that he encourages his schoolmates to keep their attire in check. He would point out certain things to them, and now admits that in recent times many of his classmates have started wearing their ties correctly, pulling up their pants and tucking in their shirts.

His effort to make sure he looks tidy has caused him to be the target of remarks from schoolmates, but Paul says they are not usually negative.

“They would say that I look clean and tidy,” he said.

In response to charges that schoolchildren are not conforming to the rules – wearing their pants below their waistlines, altering them so the bottoms are close, taking off their epaulettes while on the streets – he would say that school is not the place for that.

“Why would I want to come to school with tight pants and shoes that are not leather that can be polished? Why do it when at the end of the day you are still going to get punished for it?” he reasoned.

“School is the place that builds you for the outside world, and when you go to work you cannot afford to be altering the uniforms. The uniform shows that you belong to the company and you have to wear it with pride . . . . By altering it you are showing that you are breaking away from that code of etiquette.”

The snazzy dresser, who was given awards for deportment at both Erdiston Primary School, where he was a former head boy, and now at Harrison College, says he believes that the way a person dresses determines who they are and the attitude and approach they will have to their studies.

“When you look a certain way, people will perceive you that way. So if you look clean and decent people would say that boy is into his schoolwork but if they look ‘all over the place’, you will not be thought of as organized or studious.”

Boundaries

Paul, who irons his own clothes, said that the idea that “boys will be boys”, which means that they can get away with being untidy and not looking after their hygiene, had its limits. Though he agrees that boys should be allowed to run around and play, he feels there are boundaries and certain standards that have to be put in place as they “cannot be allowed to look any way they please”.

“You cannot expect to go to an interview as if you are going to a party . . . . You have to look interested and . . . ready to start work immediately!”

Outside of school, Paul still follows fashion trends but makes sure that he still looks tidy because he knows that people will still be watching.

The disciplined youngster said that organizing his attire had also helped him to organize his schoolwork and manage his time. Additionally, he is focused on where he intends to go in his life.

The teen, of Lemon Arbour, St John, has his sights set on being a civil engineer, and intends to focus on Barbadian infrastructure.

“My dream is to restructure Barbados so we can be like other countries, like the USA.

I want us to have big bridges, good roads and buildings that can rival those elsewhere,” Paul said.

One of his teachers, Geoffrey Wallace, said Paul naturally prided himself on looking neat and many others said he had the bearing of a head boy.

Wallace has served as a source of support to Paul.

“I encourage him to use that to his advantage, because first impressions always count.

“He stands out from the rest, and I want him to see that he can use it as a positive influence and it can carry him places,” he said.

• Positive Youth is a series highlighting the efforts of some of the youth in our nation who are engaging in positive pursuits. If you know of any such people, please contact Natasha Beckles at 430-5459 or natashabeckles@nation news.com; or Bryan Walker at 430-5492 or bryanwalker@nationnews.com

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