Lead Stories

Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer

As hundreds of schools across Jamaica open their doors to welcome the beginning of another school year today, Children's Advocate Mary Clarke has called for parents to take every precaution to ensure the safety of their kids as they travel to and from schools.

Clarke told The Gleaner that child abduction is still a major concern.

"What the statistics are showing is that many of the children who go missing do so while travelling from school," Clarke said, while adding that nearly 50 per cent of the children who went missing last year still cannot be accounted for.

"I am still made to wonder what happened to many of these children," Clarke lamented.

The children's ad-vocate urged parents to keep tabs on very young students.

"For the younger children, as much as possible, accompany them to school. Let them walk with the address and the names of their parents," she cautioned.

Additionally, she said older children should make known their whereabouts to parents at all times.

"Parents must also set a time that they expect their children to arrive home, and make an alarm if they do not come home," she said.

Marcia McCausland-Wilson, president of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ), implored parents to advise their children not to neglect basic safety procedures.

"I know by now this might sound a little cliche, but we need to implore our children not to speak to strangers as they make the trip to and from school ... .

"A lot of times, many of our children go missing, and if we had insisted that they do not speak to strangers, many of these situations could be prevented," she said.

Provide kids' needs

Meantime, she said parents should ensure that the basic needs of their children are met to diminish their vulnerability to predators.

"I know times are hard, but we need to take care of our children, get involved in the PATH (Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education) programmes and other programmes available ... . Let's not ask our children to go out and beg."

The NPTAJ president also called for parents to do all they can to rid the classroom of gang violence.

"We beg you, parents, at the first sign that your child is in a gang, get help, don't wait," Wilson said, adding that parents should make use of all the avenues available to them, including guidance counsellors.

"Gangs are prevalent in our schools today; they cause mayhem in our school communities. The gangs begin at grade one. A grade-one child is six years old; these gangs are transferred from primary school to high school and then become the gangs on the street corner," Wilson said.

nedburn.thaffe@gleanerjm.com