THE EDITOR, Sir:
I FEEL deeply compelled to share my observations of some youth today with regard to their ambitions, goals, aspirations etc. Listening recently to Dr. Peter Phillips' speech during the PNP leadership campaign, brought the issue again to the fore of my mind.
He declared that teachers must spend eight hours in the classroom delivering to our children so that they do not leave the secondary level without any qualification.
But while most of our Jamaican youth are serious about their academic and professional pursuits, there are some who 'settle' for jobs that are unchallenging and offer little scope for upward mobility. There are some who were 'born wid gold spoon inna dem mout' and end up 'hustling' because they saw no worth for an education during their school years and wasted their time. Or the more common explanation that their parents have a business which they will later inherit.
The truth is that with the influence of cable television and the lure of big bucks in the music and modelling industry as well as the underworld, some youth delay qualifying themselves or never do. Besides, 'settling' for any work they can get is partly a result of what Lambert Brown calls "the disease of national idleness" (Gleaner article, September 12, 2004). So idle are some of our youth that nothing misses them. They are first on any scene of accident or crime and sometimes get too deeply involved, to their own demise.
I agree with Dr. Phillips that teachers must spend quality time doing what they must to the best of their ability. But because some of our youths are not interested in making education a priority, teachers will find it harder not just to deliver the lessons but to motivate students to crave useful knowledge and become productive citizens of the country. As a teacher myself, I can testify that it is a challenging job, but we cannot give up. We just have to continue to educate and help them to see the light!
I am, etc.,
S.M.
Spanish Town
St. Catherine
