A Lost Generation. We are looking at the recently
published World Bank report on the impact of crime in the
While I am not happy doing so, I am prepared to accept that we have a lost generation of young men in our community. Do we have to just write them off? Their governments betrayed them. Their school system let them down. Their parents abandoned them while they struggled with multiple jobs in the mistaken belief they were improving the family’s prospects economically. Their churches became irrelevant to their needs.
In
Would you employ a typical, recent, male graduate of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School? No sane employer would do so.
If you are a parent, would you be acting responsibly towards your children if you continue to send them to Campus B, in particular? Speak to any child who attends that school. Look them in the eye. Ask them to be honest with you. Only then are you allowed to answer.
The former "Superintendent of Discipline" at Campus B seemed to have studied child psychology from reading the Bible. While she was not allowed to beat them with rods and sticks, she was allowed to deal only with their symptoms instead of their underlying problems. She created and encouraged a war of discipline between staff and students. This, in turn, created anger and polarity, and while it addressed immediate behavioural problems in the short term, it entreched them in the long term. The entire school was plunged into an atmosphere of conflict and adversity.
ReplyDeleteYes, there are serious behaviour problems in our school and yes, they must be addressed, but because of the failure to address the underlying causes, Campus B has become a gulag of punishments instead of a place of learning and achievement.
The author of these institutionalised horrors has been rewarded by being promoted to Principal of Campus A.
As we sow, so shall we reap.
That one was preceded by Anne Edwards, who spent 29 years in the Education Department where, she said, most of the youth passed through her hands. There, she oversaw the disintegration of respect, religion, discipline and even common courtesy among these selfsame youth. Having so failed, and after being forced into retirement, she ran for office in 2005 and announced that by virtue of her long experience she had all the answers to the problems in our schools.
ReplyDeleteDuring the campaign a friend wrote of Anne: "I had to reprimand one of the political candidates in [Sandy Ground] a couple weeks ago when I saw her dumping an old stove and some old hotel linen on the North Side of the pond. She apologised but continued to dump her garbage."
Interviewed in The Anguillian, she told Keesha Webster that she believed she was devinely led.
As far as I'm concern, the break down in Anguilla schools occured when parents took no personal responsibility for the actions of their children. Teachers are blame for everything. When I send my kid to schcool, he/she should already know the basic social skills of civility and etiquette. The prinicapl of the shcool must be given time to prove her management skills. How long has she been in that Post? Why are we so hard on women in leadership positions when we tend to turn a blind eye on the men in similar positions of authourity. My grace period for Prinicapl Lake to turn that school around is 2 years. Then I will be the first to criticize her. But parents need to act like the adults and stop treating their children as if they are their friends and need no parental guidance.
ReplyDeleteWe all seem to know what's wrong with the school, yet we seldom show up to staff meetings. When was the last time anyone ever said thank you to a teacher?
I do not know what it is now but Anguilla is in such serious problems that I do not what to do to help this situation. do not look to the Government to assist, they can not. In Every sphere of society in the departments, police immigration, labour, planning all in one big mess. Lord help us.Immigration and labour are the sickess. Immigration is the sickess of them all added with their corrupt officers. Who do we turn to. Lord have mercy.
ReplyDeleteGod is in control, and he would not put more on his people than they can bear. I am sorry for the poor people in this island, they have noone to turn to , but Jesus. Pray , Pray, Pray.A people get the government they deserve. They were elected.
ReplyDeletePeople wake up and see that All the caribbean are scorning at us, which government develops a country like this at the detriment of its people, why should genuine investors be given all this at the expense of Anguillians. WHo are so foolish to believe that this is just so.
ReplyDeleteGod always raises up a Daniel in time of need, God bless Mr Mitchell, to come to enlighten the people, a man of this calibre, with the legal where withal, ti must be a blessing be bestowed upon us. Do not be dishartened
ReplyDeletegod will see us through, this trial and testing. Band together Anguillians, There is nothing for you in Anguilla, the governement you have elected to office has deceioved and lied to you. Do not trust them.
What kind of oppositions we have in Anguilla, how can they sit idly by and allow this to happen to people. I hope that none of the politicans nor oppositions come to bother me, beause they are disgraceful. Look at this place and tell me that they care. Big boys you would not enjoy this big life all the time. It must come to an end some day. Anguillians would remember all the things that you all have done to your poor people. How ungrateful, and God would judge you all.
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