Education Minister lashes out against bleaching

Western Bureau:

Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid has added his voice to those expressing disagreement with the skin-bleaching trend, describing it as an attempt to change God's creation.

Addressing the students and teachers at the Fidel Castro Campus at the Anchovy High School in St James during a tour of three educational institutions in western Jamaica on Tuesday, Reid, while expressing pleasure that he had not seen any incident of the trend on the campus he was visiting, questioned the sense of engaging in bleaching.

"Let me just tell you that you are all precious in God's sight. You are all wonderfully made by God. All of you have some tremendous possibilities, so do not bother try to alter God's creation," said Reid.

He went on to urge the students to strive for excellence in their educational endeavours, while also exercising discipline and practising good core values.

"Education will empower you in how to navigate life and become successful. It empowers you to focus on the positives and not the negatives. It empowers you to be constructive and productive in transforming your communities and the country," continued Reid.

Reid announced that his ministry would be launching a national values programme very soon. He added that the students who adopt good values during their school life would follow them throughout their post-school existence.

Reid went on to urge the students to use their education to transform their communities and to be the needed agents of change for the nation.