Education Minister Shawn Edward has called on parents to admonish their children, declaring that teachers and educators on their own cannot be responsible for students fighting in the capital.
“It starts at home,” the Minister told reporters.
He spoke amid recent sporadic outbreaks of violence involving students on the streets of Castries after school hours.
On Friday, Saint Lucia Fire Service (SLFS) personnel rushed three male teenagers to the hospital following separate stabbing incidents in Castries.
The victims, between 16 and 18 years old, had non life-threatening injuries.
The Education Minister called on parents to make children accountable for their time and behaviour in the City when they transition from school to home in the afternoon.
The Minister noted that students fighting in the City has a long history.
“You really cannot prevent every single child in the school system from engaging in skirmishes and fights. But whenever it happens, we will always be in a position to denounce it,” Edward declared.
In addition to calling out parents, the Minister appealed to the wider community to play its role.
“Let us all come together to ensure that we give an orientation to our children where they understand that they must not be seen as students who can engage in fights and skirmishes to resolve their differences,” the Minister told reporters.
Sorry Shawn. Telling the people who raise pigs that they should improve is simply wasting time. Those cretins are never going to listen unless there is punitive actions involved. It’s time to hold those people accountable for their animals. Just talking to whilst the time seem to be a great pastime in St. Lucia. Hardly anyone wants to get tough for fear of losing their “good person” image. They don’t realize one is more respected if they are firm and fair.
Some of the so called parents are ALSO in desperate need of rehabilitation – how then could you help such dysfunction on every level within the household. I have personally witnessed illiteracy combined with ignorance and criminality with some parents (male and female) in St. Lucia. Godspeed.
Exactly Poule Foo, they afraid to rock the boat and uphold the law for fear of losing votes.