Melissa Grant (left) and Rannay Barnes (second left), third-grade students of Port Maria Primary School, and Mario Millwood, a sixth-grader from Alpha Primary, peruse letters they wrote to Prime Minister Bruce Golding at Jamaica House yesterday. Golding (centre) promised to follow up on their requests. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer

Prime Minister Bruce Golding 'suffered' three little children to come unto him and he received them at Jamaica House yesterday.

The prime minister extended the invitation to the three primary-school students after the heart-tugging letters they wrote to him were the focus of The Gleaner's lead story on Saturday, April 11.

The tear-jerking missives were penned by two third-grade students and a sixth-grader. The letters were published earlier this month in The Gleaner's weekly publication, the Children's Own, which is distributed to primary, all-age and preparatory schools across the country.

While two of the letters were appeals for help with school infrastructure, one offered advice on how to prevent children from being kidnapped and murdered.

Guests of honour

Melissa Grant and Rannay Barnes from Port Maria Primary School in St Mary, as well as Mario Millwood from the prime minister's alma mater, Alpha Primary in St Andrew, were Golding's guests of honour and the centre of attention at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday morning.

The meeting was also attended by the principals of the two schools, Mario's mother, Reverend Al Miller and members of the prime minister's technical staff.

Golding seemed more visibly enamoured by the visit than the children did. He invited them as prime minister but when they arrived, a smitten Golding seemingly could not help himself, as he was more like a father.

Golding displayed a conspicuous abandonment of his honourable position as the country's premier. For less than an hour, the prime minister laid aside his prime ministerial garb and donned the more esteemed mantle of mentor. He told them a story about his children and reminisced about his primary-school days.

Immediate switch

The switch-over, however, was almost immediate, as his brisk steps took him directly into his office where he was to host another meeting with James Robertson, minister of mining and energy, and several officials. For Golding, it was back to the stresses of running the country's business while the children went back to enjoying the remainder of their relatively care-free holidays.

During the meeting, the children sat and listened attentively when the prime minister spoke. It seemed they where silenced by the magnitude of the occasion. After all, not every day a primary-school student receives an official invite from the prime minister to visit the historic Jamaica House and discuss matters of national importance.

Still, the little ones did speak. Golding asked them to reiterate the concerns they raised in their letters and they complied.

Golding assured the two young girls that the help they pleaded for was on the way. When there is much rainfall, the school is flooded and classes for certain grades sometimes have to be suspended for days.

Rannay happy

Rannay told The Gleaner that the prime minister's decision to help with her school's infrastructure problem made her feel "happy".

Melissa said it was good to have met the prime minister and that it was better than she expected. She too felt "very good" that the defects at her school would be remedied.

Golding also assured Mario that his suggestion would not be swept under the rug. "I feel like, relieved that he is going to do something to help us and that he is going to re-think the bus plan," young Millwood said.

Golding explained to Mario why the previous attempt at a school-bus system failed, but told him that he would ask Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry to examine the possibilities of a resumption of the school-bus system. Mario believes it will help to protect the nation's children.

Timely missive

Millwood's missive was timely as the prime minister said that the Government was currently carrying out a complete review of the transportation system.

"I will speak with him (Henry) and tell him that a little youngster from Alpha, who is smarter than both me and him put together, has suggested that we look at the school-bus system again."

Golding added: "I make one promise to you and I'll make sure that I keep the promise. When the minister has finished considering the matter and examining all the possibilities and he reports to me, I am going to report to you and tell you exactly what advice the minister has given."

He asked Mario to come see him at the end of the next school term. "You and I have an appointment, right?" Golding asked.

The prime minister asked Patricia Sinclair-McCalla to contact the transport and works ministry and ask that a technical team be sent to Port Maria Primary to do an assessment of what needs to be done. "Tell them I need to get the report by the end of this month," he said.

At the end of the meeting, Rev Miller prayed a special prayer for the children.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com