LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Open Letter to the Education Minister

Friday,  January 6, 2006

Dear Sir, 

Let me publicly congratulate you for your radical approach in trying to reform Education and the School Environment of the Cayman Islands. 

As someone that loves the Island very much I would have to tell you that it cannot any longer be “business as usual” in your Middle and High School. 

I know many of your locals far too well and am very much in touch with what has been happening.

I am very impressed with the fact that you as a Minister are openly addressing many of the issues happening in your schools.

For years there has been a growing, festering serious problem with Gangs at the High Schools and it was very unfortunate that former Minister/s denied there was a problem by stating that we have “ groups” and not “ gangs’. 

It is very sad those problems to a very large extent were left un-exposed for far too many years. 

It seems former Ministers and Principals alike felt that somehow they would be “blamed” if they really exposed how very real the drug and gang problems have been in the schools for years ( especially the High School).

I watched with much heartbreak the denial and “pushing under the carpet” the behavioural and drug problem that existed. I am very proud of you for rolling your sleeves up, taking your punches and letting the rest of the public know what was happening as that is the only way you will get good people trying to help you find solutions and answers to the problem. 

Your Island is a far too beautiful place to be left alone, brushed under the carpet and denied help until one day you wake up and realize that your teens are taking Guns to school instead of Knives!.

Here in America, we have children taking weapons of all sorts to school and taking the lives of teachers and schoolmates. With life in general unless you first admit you have a problem you wouldn’t ever be able to correct that problem.

I am very happy to know you are taking a radical approach to try and develop better teens in your society. If the behaviour is arrested at a very young age, teenagers will not be able to develop into Seasoned Gangsters and Drug Dealers by the time they are out of school and in the real world. By admitting there is a problem, then and only then can you get the community and good parents involved. Do you want your schools to become a venue whereby young men carry on their gangster activity and traffic their drugs amongst one another? 

Please learn from your next door neighbours: Bibles and Discipline have been taking out of our schools in America, therefore look what we are left with – isn’t it sad ? 

We are so Liberal here that our kids cannot be given Bible Scriptures that instruct against violence and respect for another human being’s life but they can be supplied with Condoms and Abortion advice. 

Many of our schools are barred with metal detectors of every kind and Security Guards but yet our Schools are still one of the most dangerous places in America.

Why? Because we have waited too long and taken too much of a Liberal, tolerant approach.

Mr Minister, I am very encouraged to see it seems you are not going down the same path we have taken otherwise you will continue to have the same problems we are having. 

Facts will show that a High School can be one of the most dangerous places in your society. It is a venue/compound where hundreds of teenagers congregate and what kind of behaviour and discipline problems expressed will be whatever your teenagers feel their Principals, Teachers and Education Dept will tolerate.

Mr McLaughlin, congrats on a very radical move toward reformation. Take your punches; and keep rolling in the direction of a more disciplined group of teenagers in your Island.!!

Jane Earie

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