THE EDITOR, Sir:
PROFESSOR HYACINTH Evans' May 15 article in The Sunday Gleaner was enlightening. She points to the misnomer of school "drop out" instead of "left out." According to the professor, more than 10,000 children, age 15 to 16, leave school each year with a Ninth Grade education. These children are unable to gain entry into the upper levels of secondary education. Of interest, only 20 per cent of them will be admitted to a high school, leaving 80 per cent in limbo! Added to this problem, only 68 per cent of Grade 9 children from poor families, compared with 94 per cent of the wealthiest, will gain access to the upper secondary grades. It would therefore seem obvious that we are creating and/or perpetuating a two-tiered society and a social divide for our young people. The article also points to the fact that, although there are plans ahead to make some changes in the system, there will still be insufficient space to accommodate the 10,000 or more students leaving school each year with a Grade 9 education.
MULTIPLE DEPRIVATIONS
Because rural areas are poorer and lack the social amenities and opportunities for holistic development, some of these children will experience multiple deprivations and stunted development. Some may even drift to the cities hoping to find a better life, only to face more disappointments leaving them frustrated. On the other side of the coin, urban children who lack skills and are unable to access gainful employment find themselves in the same situation as those from the rural areas; as a consequence, they are attracted to those who are already idling their time at the street corners. With time on their hands and no jobs they are easily seduced into gang activities, subsequently getting into trouble with the law.
Adolescence is a stage when young people are most vulnerable. They are in a state of 'flux', so to speak, sometimes even rebelling against authority figures. With the need to belong they become prey to the criminal elements in the society who are too willing to exploit their plights. With thousands of unprepared and unskilled young people idling their time away, antisocial and aggressive behaviours thrive, resulting in social haemorrhage (no pun intended) as we're now experiencing.
To stop a haemorrhage requires the application of a tourniquet. But equally important is the removal of the tourniquet to prevent death of the surrounding tissues and to repair the site of the bleeding. Too many of our people are dying as a result of un-arrested haemorrhage!
And this brings me to the much talked about values and attitudes and the army as an option. The subject of the army is not a novel idea. As a matter of fact, I'm echoing what has been discussed over the airways and written about in the newspaper. When we consider the fact that the army promotes values and attitudes, is this option not worthy of serious consideration by our leaders and those who are in opposition to providing some opportunity for our young people?
We cannot afford to be afraid of our children. They are part of us. We need to stop the social haemorrhage and human waste.
I am, etc.,
DR. L. SPENCER-STRACHAN
lufran@mail.infochan.com
