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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 27, 2012
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Time for some real research to arrest this dangerous development DEAR EDITOR, Over the past few weeks the reports in the dailies seem not to have shocked us sufficiently to unearth in us, enough outrage and concern for the dangerous place in which our young people seem to have found themselves, with respect to senseless violence. Going back to March 2011 a Kaieteur News Headline read; “Armed Student Gang from City School invades West Demerara Secondary.” In this situation it was reported that a group of students boarded a mini-bus in Georgetown and traveled to Region Three and invaded a school to get even with another student. Then, on 19th February 2012 an online newspaper caption read: “Guyanese Schoolboy stabbed to death in row over girl.” On this occasion the local media reported that 17 year old Anfernee Bowman died after receiving several stab wounds at the hands of one of his classmates, from an evening lesson. According to reports the incident occurred shortly after the two were dismissed from classes. Less than a month after, on 17th May 2012, the Stabroek News headline, again, read “Teen stabbed to death during brand name clothing argument”. This time the family of 17 year old Shane George was plunged into sudden mourning. The reporters again told us that Shane succumbed to several stab wounds inflicted, by a class mate whom he attends evening lessons with. Continuing with the teen violence, a Demerara Waves repor on 19th May 2012 read, “Unease over gang visits to LBI Primary School; student chopped”. In this report it was stated that earlier in the week a gang, on behalf of one student, visited the school to exact vengeance on another student. In this case 16 year old Dameon Jones is alleged to have received a chop in his head. Teachers, we learnt, are
fearful for their lives as the gang had returned to the school and issued threats. Regardless of the specific facts of the cases it is clear that, as a nation, we are faced with a serious and dangerous situation of teen violence, which requires our urgent, necessary and collective effort. For too long we have placed little or no emphasis on seriously addressing the urgent needs of our children who continue to resort to violence to vent their anger, rage or feeling. No real effort, in my mind, is made to engage in the kind of scientific investigation necessary to address the many problems faced by our youth. Somehow we seem to think that resorting to archaic means of dealing with the problems will work, or better yet we act as though there is a generic solution to the myriad of problems and issues our youth are struggling with daily. So, on the issue with the students who left the city and invaded another school in another region, we seem to think that suspending the students from school is the ultimate solution to their unwarranted behavior. While we make the dangerous mistake to fail to recognize that suspension from school alone is not the answer to a deeper social problem. Too often the need for urgent counseling is negated and the troubled teen is left to deal with issues as he/she sees fit. Today, there should be at least one social worker attached to every high school in Guyana, or have teachers specifically trained to offer more extensive help to students who are experiencing serious social, emotional and psychological problems. This is what development in education means, ensuring that we have sufficiently emotionally and psychologically balanced students in the classroom, a desire which aids in the benefit of all. It is time the Ministry of Social Services, Ministry of Youth and Culture, and the Ministry of Education work in close and meaningful cooperation to ensure that the violence in our school, and among our teens are properly
dealt with. It is time for serious interagency cooperation! Where is the University of Guyana in all of this, we seem not to recognize the value of our only tertiary education institution in meeting the needs of the challenges in our society. It is time the government considers contracting the University to conduct scientific studies to deal with teen violence. Let us engage the department of Social Work and Sociology and contract the services of the professionals. It is time we do some real research to arrest this dangerous development. A country, especially one which has a population of fewer than 800,000, cannot afford to have its most valuable resource being depleted so senselessly. Let us do the kind of research needed and invest in the future of Guyana. I often wonder if we lack the ability to conduct research, or is it that we like to find ‘plaster solutions’ to problems. I say it is time to get scientific, and
invest in research to help the nation’s youth, the time of ‘guesstimation’is over a nation’s youth is crying out for help! Many of us may offer some kind of reason for these problems, some of us are quick to blame the parents, in fact a few years ago one man wrote and extensive article in the Guyana Chronicle in which he blames the single parent families for crimes in Guyana, some blame the school. I say it is time to shelf the blame and get on with the business of tackling the problem, research must be undertaken. It will also be a good thing if we take the time to examine how our own inaction might be a contributing factor to the escalation of this dangerous state of affairs. While many of us may be going about our business as though we are immune from the effects of teen violence because for us it has not directly affect us, I wish to remind us that the wrath of this violence is closer to us that we imagine. We must not forget that we live
in a society where the young will soon become the adults in charge of our affairs and so we must care who will take care of us in those latter years. We, therefore, must be concerned now that we aid their ability to be compassionate, responsible, respectful and accountable. A teacher, recently, said to me that when she stood in front of a certain class and realize that twenty years later she might go to the doctor and have to be attended to by one of the said students it made her go the extra mile to impart more than academics. I hope that we will come to the realization that we too, as members of society have a role to play; that old African proverb; “ora na azu nwa” translated “it takes a community/ village to raise a child” is quite instructive on our role as members as society. Hillary Clinton, who popularized that African phrase wrote in her 1996 book titled, ‘It takes a Village and Other Lessons Children
Teach Us’ wrote; “How well we care for our own and other people’s children isn’t only a question of morality; our selfinterest is at stake too.” And while we can find good nostalgic moments of ‘what was’ it should offer us no excuse for our inaction but rather forces us to act in the interest of helping a youth better his life and by extension our own future. A few days ago while listening to the ‘Yolander Adams Morning Radio Show’ the commentator asked listeners to share their views as to whether they think the church is still a force to be reckon with in society, one caller gave a most emphatic yes, she went on to explain how in her community the church is dominant and that from getting a resume written to assisting in job skills training, you can go to the church and get some help. Today I want to ask a broader question, is the religious community still a force to reckon with in our own Continued on page 7
Will the PPP blow the opportunity Nov. 28, 2011 has... From page 4 TUF coalition in 1964, the hope was that Guyana would be spared communism and its dictatorial propensity. But then Burnham wound up leading Guyana to independence in May 1966, creating euphoric atmosphere in the country. In February 1970, he made Guyana a Cooperative Republic and embarked on state ownership of commanding heights of the economy, starting with the nationalization of Demba in July 1971. In December 1974, he embarked on a bloodless socialist revolution, and we can pretty much conclude that it was rapidly downhill from there for Guyana and Guyanese. When he died in August 1985, his successor, the late Desmond Hoyte, changed the political trajectory of the country, and while there were discernable signs of progress, his efforts were cut short by calls for free and fair elections, which resulted in the Jagan-led PPP taking power in October 1992. After Jagan died in March 1997, his wife captained the ship of state, from December 1997 to August 1999, when Bharrat Jagdeo took over and presided until November 2011. Throughout the entire foregoing period after independence, Guyana and Guyanese experienced fleeting moments of stable and sound living, despite the socioeconomic constraints associated with a poor country, which was,
nevertheless, sitting on untapped natural resources. But the true meaning of political independence never seemed to resonate deeply with Guyanese, in so far as political and civil rights, economic and social justices were concerned. Burnham became increasingly autocratic. Jagan went from staunch communist to strangely confused. His wife seemed more enamored of communism and the PPP than Guyana. Jagdeo, a symbol of youth, energy and hope replicated Burnham in many respects, except that whereas Burnham was overcome with political greed, Jagdeo was overcome with personal greed. One died and left nothing much; the other is alive and has gotten much. Too much! So what exactly was the purpose of political independence? Where are the direct benefits of independence for Guyanese? It would seem that political independence benefited politicians and their associates than the people of Guyana, but nothing is more disturbing about the seeming failure of political independence than to recognize Guyanese now in countries under governments run by white people whom our political leaders spent decades vilifying. What an indictment against our political leaders as Guyanese assumed foreign and even dual citizenships! No one seems to know the exact numbers, but we are told that over
500,000 Guyanese live abroad. From the much despised Britain, to the disparaged America to the delicately detested Canada, Guyanese can be found living their dreams in another land. And what is worse is that even after the PPP returned to power in 1992, not only did its support base not return home in droves as expected, but the base keeps migrating from a country that is 83,000 square miles in size, with less than 1 million in population and untapped economic potential. But even if we were to agree in unison that political independence has not delivered because our political leaders failed, how can the leaders not get the message from the people on November 28, 2011, that they want the government to change the way it does business? November 28, 2011 could well be as symbolically significant as May 26, 1966, if only the political leaders could, for once, put the people’s interests and concerns first. For once, symbolism can finally become substance! Will the PPP blow the opportunity November 28, 2011 has presented, the same way the PNC blew the opportunity May 26, 1966 had presented? After all, we should be celebrating November 28, not wondering about its possible consequences! Emile Mervin