Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 02, 2014 Editorial
The reported incidents of violence in the Richard Ishmael Secondary School in the city force home the stark reminder that all is not well in the public school system.
It is time for a national recognition that we need to be more proactive in dealing with crime prevention and other student security issues in our country’s schools.
As obtains in other societies, the time has come for the Minister of Education to commission a survey and make public its findings.
Among the areas which would be of interest to the general public are the possibility of being bullied at school; threats and attacks on teachers; threats and attacks on students; school neighborhood violence; experience of violence outside of school; attributed causes of anti-social behaviour; and the influence of the media.
The National Mentoring Programme which was launched at the Lodge Community High School during March 2010 by the Education Ministry was intended to strengthen discipline among school students.
There has been no word on its extension to other schools as indicated, nor has the results of any evaluation to determine whether its implementation has been a success been made public.
This is perhaps to be expected since it appears to be the norm that new initiatives are announced with much fanfare, but the need for follow through and/or status reports are often ignored.
Beginning in the home and reinforced by the other agents of socialization must be an exposure to what is acceptable behaviour.
It is likely that children’s experiences and perceptions of violence shape their responses and attitude to violence. This is all the more reason for the relevant agencies to become involved at a more intense level.
Mentoring has proven to be an effective delinquency prevention strategy, and can mean the difference between dropping out of school and graduating, or between getting involved with drugs and criminal gangs and developing the strength and self-confidence to resist such pressures. The death of young Leon McCurdy like so many others must serve as a wakeup call to protect our young people from going down the path of perdition.
The circumstances of the latter stage of McCurdy’s life, and his demise are not unusual in our collective experience. There are many more such examples of young persons who may have lost a parent(s); or who are experiencing neglect or abuse or who may be lonely or uncomfortable in certain social situations. This vulnerable category of persons might not have benefitted from the support, attention, and kindness of a mentor equipped with special skills and other institutional supports.
Therefore, a carefully designed and well run programme could provide the type of positive influences for young people who may not have a good support system available to them. With the proliferation of trained social workers coming out of university there is no acceptable reason why one could not be placed in each school to attend to students’ concerns on security and welfare issues.
Utilising the professional skills of social workers in association with the mentorship arrangement in one-on-one relationships could prove very valuable. They can provide the necessary guidance and support to face challenges associated with schoolwork; social issues, such as pressure to drink, smoke, or use drugs; family problems or tension; and other typical difficulties of growing up. In other words it is important that the extra support that many young people need is available to assist them to resist the strong influences of peer pressure and the desire to fit.
The case for the placement of social workers in schools is further established by the fact that the daily presence puts the professional in a position of knowing the students with problems and those who are problems. The foregoing notwithstanding, it is unrealistic to expect the mentor and/or social worker to supplant the parent or guardian.
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
Apr 19, 2024
SportsMax – West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews delivered a stellar all-round performance to lead her team to a commanding 113-run victory over Pakistan Women in the first One Day...Kaieteur News – For years, the disciples of Bharrat Jagdeo have woven a narrative of economic success during his tenure... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]