Ministry of who?

Social services eh? Properly educating the kids on a holistic level (not just Reading wRiting and aRithmetic) BEFORE they get caught up in behavioural problems REDUCES or ELIMINATES the need for social services to get involved. The educational plan that I'm talking about looks to the future (about 12-15 years).

Typical mentality - Deal with the problem AFTER it has already started.


Dont shoot the messenger! and what about the parents of these children, all the "measures" your suggesting should fall under parental responsibilty not the teachers, and the last time I checked teachers werent getting paid enough to solve other people's problems. Children go to school to learn not go to school, to go home!

Dont shoot the messenger! and what about the parents of these children, all the "measures" your suggesting should fall under parental responsibilty not the teachers, and the last time I checked teachers werent getting paid enough to solve other people's problems. Children go to school to learn not go to school, to go home!

You obviously don’t seem to get it.

In a small society like this, the responsibility lies on ALL citizens, especially those in leadership positions over our youth (e.g. Teachers). We have adopted the bad habits of larger nations, forgetting that we do not have millions of other people to pick up the slack when things go bad. Twenty bums in a large US city can be overlooked, but on this little island (or even on the family islands), twenty homeless persons wandering the streets is quite a large percentage.

With parents working 9 to 5 (and sometimes until 8pm or later) the responsibility of raising kids in some families gets handed over to the television, the telephone, the internet or even to their peers. Teachers (if they haven't already) must realize that they are in a unique position to guide the character of this country. Someone has to help pick up the slack. Why not start in the classroom by giving our teachers the proper tools and training to not just teach, but to mentor Bahamian youth.

Of course, the "money" situation will always come up. Anyone who gets into teaching for the "money" went into the wrong profession - Point blank. It's sad when the most important jobs don't earn as much as they should, but even that is a societal problem that should be addressed.

Education is the key to eliminating poverty in the long term. Self-sufficient, intelligent citizens who have been taught how to properly and respectfully negotiate their environment add to society's overall quality of life, instead of subtracting from it or burdening it down.

With regard to taxing the churches, perhaps they should be taxed - but they would have to tax all businesses in that case. I personally blaim the church members who keep giving away their money to their rich pastors while they stay broke.

I also agree the teachers are not at fault for kids not learning. If I went to any shool I would try to learn what was taught, if only out of gratitude.

I see the problem being that kids these days need a gratitude/attitude adjustment - they don't appreciate anything - mostly because their parents don't teach them to value anything and do everything for them, and if they get disciplined by their frustrated teacher then the parents go and gang the teacher.

Like I said already, things won't change, we are trapped in a vicious circle. Things parents did in the old days and teachers did in the old days to keep kids in check are now against the law. The girls go to school looking like prostitutes and they wonder why we have sex in the school and teenage pregnancies? Maybe because it is always on tv and thekids can't be disciplined. lol

Forgive me Bsm, below is your post 33 which I mistakenly accessed. Just an error, I didn't want to add anything. Hopefully, the administrator would delete it.


With regard to taxing the churches, perhaps they should be taxed - but they would have to tax all businesses in that case. I personally blaim the church members who keep giving away their money to their rich pastors while they stay broke.

I also agree the teachers are not at fault for kids not learning. If I went to any shool I would try to learn what was taught, if only out of gratitude.

I see the problem being that kids these days need a gratitude/attitude adjustment - they don't appreciate anything - mostly because their parents don't teach them to value anything and do everything for them, and if they get disciplined by their frustrated teacher then the parents go and gang the teacher.

Like I said already, things won't change, we are trapped in a vicious circle. Things parents did in the old days and teachers did in the old days to keep kids in check are now against the law. The girls go to school looking like prostitutes and they wonder why we have sex in the school and teenage pregnancies? Maybe because it is always on tv and thekids can't be disciplined. lol

You obviously don’t seem to get it.In a small society like this, the responsibility lies on ALL citizens, especially those in leadership positions over our youth (e.g. Teachers). We have adopted the bad habits of larger nations, forgetting that we do not have millions of other people to pick up the slack when things go bad. Twenty bums in a large US city can be overlooked, but on this little island (or even on the family islands), twenty homeless persons wandering the streets is quite a large percentage.

With parents working 9 to 5 (and sometimes until 8pm or later) the responsibility of raising kids in some families gets handed over to the television, the telephone, the internet or even to their peers. Teachers (if they haven't already) must realize that they are in a unique position to guide the character of this country. Someone has to help pick up the slack. Why not start in the classroom by giving our teachers the proper tools and training to not just teach, but to mentor Bahamian youth.

Of course, the "money" situation will always come up. Anyone who gets into teaching for the "money" went into the wrong profession - Point blank. It's sad when the most important jobs don't earn as much as they should, but even that is a societal problem that should be addressed.

Education is the key to eliminating poverty in the long term. Self-sufficient, intelligent citizens who have been taught how to properly and respectfully negotiate their environment add to society's overall quality of life, instead of subtracting from it or burdening it down.

It seems to me that you get so defensive and clearly dont understand that people have an opinion and this is a forum to state them as such. I dont have time to give paragraphs on eloquently- laced rhetoric. But people need to start taking responsibilty for their actions, (i.e Parents need to take responsibilty for their offspring) No matter how small a place is, what's the use of having someone "pickup all the slack" when the children go home to parents who take counterproductive steps in the process like, beating up the teacher. I agree that education is... I have one and I believe in it and the opportunities it can present to you if you apply yourself. So what I do as a concerned citizen, just as I hope you are, I just go at it one person at a time.
Have you ever voiced your concerns to the Ministry of Education about your ideas, have you taken an active role in your community, are you apart of any civic organizations to help alleviate some of our society's erosion.This isnt you specific but, it's so much talking (or writing) any one of us can do before everyone stops listening (or reading), what good is it without their being any action being our words.

Point blank it takes a village to raise a child. The job of rearing a child should not be put on anyone entity alone. It is a collective effort, which includes first and foremost parents, other relatives, teachers, coaches, pastors, youth leaders etc, etc. A child should not be considered a burden in any aspect of society, becasue they are our future leaders. And yes if someone has to pick up the slack, which is the reality that we live in, then so be it. The future of this society depends on people actually giving a damn about the youth of this nation. I dont have kids, but I do have nephews and a little brother, and I will try my best to mold them into the best that they can be, even though they are not my own. I would do the same for the neigbours kids.

it's so much talking (or writing) any one of us can do before everyone stops listening (or reading), what good is it without their being any action being our words.

Very true