Letter of the Day | Children are not political pawns – uphold ethical campaigning standards
Published:Tuesday | August 5, 2025 | 12:05 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
As the election campaign season intensifies, both major political parties have launched rallies across the island in anticipation of the upcoming polls. While Section 65 of the Jamaican Constitution mandates that a general election must be held within three months after the dissolution of Parliament, the country remains in limbo despite repeated promises from political leaders to legislate fixed election dates.
One can assume the date will be announced ‘soon,’ as full-scale campaigning is already under way. However, a recent video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) raised serious concerns: state-owned rural school buses were seen being paraded by members of a political party in what appeared to be a partisan ‘crusade.’
The Rural School Bus Initiative, a policy I have publicly praised as necessary and transformative is now regrettably being used as a political tool. This misuse not only endangers the safety and dignity of our children but also reflects a troubling abuse of public resources and erodes public trust.
Election campaigns inevitably influence children both directly and indirectly. On one hand, they present an opportunity to educate young people about civic duty and democratic values. On the other, they can easily cross ethical lines when children are co-opted for political gain. Children are not props, backdrops, or political accessories. They are citizens with inalienable rights – rights that are compromised when they are used as campaign optics. Their well-being requires thoughtful, sustained policy action not performative gestures meant to score political points.
Several child rights advocates and civil society groups have rightly condemned the politicisation of children in electoral campaigns. Such practices not only violate the principles of ethical governance but also undermine the very systems meant to protect the nation’s youth.
It is imperative that all political parties and campaign teams commit to ethical campaigning. Children must never be used as pawns in the pursuit of power. Let us rise above partisan theatrics and reaffirm our duty to protect and uplift every Jamaican child placing their dignity and well-being at the core of our democratic ideals.
AFRICKA STEPHENS