Several high schools students recently participated in one of our Editors' Forum. They discussed a range of issues. Below we share their thoughts on issues ranging from sex education, the role of the family to the problem of crime and violence in the society.
BRADFORD BOLT, ARDENNE HIGH SCHOOL
Bradford Bolt
ON THE role of the family
"I think that the structure of the family has also changed. Now the leader of the home as the Bible said, which is the man, has lost his place. I really believe that. We as men we are strong when we think of our entrepreneurial skills and our mind. We think we can work and achieve things but in our homes that's where we are failing, and that's where it leads upon our kids with the family problems. Mothers are the ones who are holding up the homes now and we have to give praise to them."
RENEE MILLER, GLENMUIR HIGH SCHOOL
Renee Miller
On learning ability
"When you go into the school system, and I know for sure that different students learn different things, I don't know what sort of programmes have been implemented to address different learning capability. But a lot of times I have sat and discussed with persons about the different persons graduating from tertiary institutions going in as professional teachers. Some of them I believe might not have joined that profession for the right reason and, you know, that reflects on teaching performance."
KIRK CARR, WOLMER'S BOYS SCHOOL
Kirk Carr
On remedial programme
"At Wolmer's we have made attempts to have a very strong remedial programme but it's not very effective...because most of the times you don't find a lot of guys attending the remedial programme. They feel that others might look down on them as they are not fast enough to be in a regular class. They have been trying over the years but it has not reached the level as yet where we can say we are producing students who have performed above average levels."
ROMAINE ISAACS, GLENMUIR HIGH SCHOOL
Romaine Isaacs
On the family
"The family is the primary agent of socialisation. I believe that if you plant a bad crop you will reap a bad crop.... Younger females are having children and that has impacted a lot on the socialisation process."
OMAR DACRES, KINGSTON COLLEGE
Omar Dacres
On safe school programme
"At my school you have the Safe Schools Programme (where police personnel called School Resource Officers are placed in schools, to address the level of violence). I really don't believe that system is efficient because these police officers they will work there for part-time. In order to eradicate violence in school you can't have policemen who work part-time coming at the school when they feel like and so I believe that the Government should hire police officers who work full-time at the school, because the only time I find police officers at school is if an incident is reported."
SHERNETTE ROSE, CAMPERDOWN HIGH SCHOOL
Shernette Rose
"Students are not afraid of the police anymore. You normally get police for us to behave in schools. Now if you hear police are on campus, some would say, "Nuh police can't do me anything, me have mi gun too."
CAMILLE ADAIR, ARDENNE HIGH SCHOOL
Camille Adair
On sex education in schools
"I think sex education in Jamaica is inadequate, because just last week at my school they had Girls' Day and we had persons coming in from various places telling us things (about sex) and the reaction you get from the girls, a lot of them had no clue what diseases they could contract in having unprotected sex; and (they did not know that) condoms are not 100 per cent safe.
At Ardenne they have personal development classes where you learn about ... (sex), but what I have noticed is that coming up in high school at the present, they do not focus on (sex education) anymore but more on career. (But) I think it is something that they need to do from first form level. Don't wait until the person reach the 5th form, because at that time you find they are dropping out of school because of pregnancy."
ERROL CAMPBELL, CAMPERDOWN HIGH SCHOOL
Errol Campbell
On the family
"I want to say the family must play their role and as Jamaicans we must believe in self help and self reliance, don't ask what you can get from somebody but say what you can give. Don't say what the Government can do for us, you must say what can I do to help myself."
TONI-ANN FALCONER, GLENMUIR HIGH SCHOOL
Toni-Ann Falconer
On violence in schools
At Glenmuir I have led a very sheltered life in terms of -- I have not been exposed to the whole violence in school. I have heard it on the radio, almost like a fairy-tale. I have never been exposed to that behaviour. It is really sad to see this is the stage our schools are at. One of the things that people attribute to violence is the low socio-economic status and at Glenmuir we are no elite set of students. I live in Mineral Heights right here and just across the main road -- I don't know if you ever heard of Caynon Heights, that's our ghetto, and many students in our class, Upper Six, are from that area. I know people always say the crime and low socio-economic status relate, but at Glenmuir I haven't seen that correlation."
