MenTour | Kingston Technical wants to be recognised for its great work
Published:Friday | May 21, 2021 | 12:13 AMRushaine Clarke/Gleaner Writer
Located in central Kingston, where more than 15 established gangs reside, Kingston Technical High School has managed to be a standard-bearer for the community. With the constant threat of male students being recruited into gangs, MenTOUR took up the initiative to speak with lower-school boys from the institution.
“We have been doing some great work at Kingston Technical, and it is great that these men can speak with our boys because some of them really need the extra encouragement,” stated Maulton Campbell, principal.
With the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information distributing the bulk of the tablets to primary schools, secondary schools have had to rely on donors for this technological support. This has been a strain for many schools, especially the ones that do not have a robust alumni association. “We have to find innovative ways to reach our boys, such as purchasing data packages for them, letting some attend school in small numbers, before the restriction was amended. For us, as an inner-city school, the challenges are many, but we have found creative ways to stay connected with our students,” reaffirmed Campbell.
With the current guidelines set by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, lower-school students at high schools are restricted from having face-to-face classes and, as such, the MenTOUR session had to be done virtually. It started off slowly, with only three male students in attendance; however, things picked up after 15 minutes, when the majority of the class joined in.
Sensing that the students may have been mentally fatigued, Chas. E. Ramson, parent company of Foska Oats, representative Stephen Reid engaged the boys in a conversation about sports. “Who in here watch Premier League football?”
This excited them, as they all turned on their microphones and responded favourably, in a synchronised manner. Reid then began to stress the importance of staying physically active during this period. “As males, it’s hard for us to stay in one place too long, even when I am behind my computer I have to get up and walk. For you guys, it must feel worse, so you have to keep a balance with bookwork and exercise. I am a football person, and for you, it might be a different sport, whatever the case, it’s very important to stay active.”
Following this light banter, St Andish William spoke to the boys about the drawbacks of underage gambling. As the spokesperson for RISE Life Management, Williams encouraged the boys to stay away from gambling. “There are many things to distract you from your schoolwork, and gambling is one of them. It can be done via video games or a simple game of cards. However it is introduced, it does not mean you any good.”
He then asked the students, “Do any of you know someone who became a millionaire from gambling?”
To which they resoundingly responded “no”.
He continued, “If you want to become rich, save your money and apply the education that you are learning at school.”