‘Liv Gud, MST initiative’ launched as change-agent at Grange Hill
Published:Saturday | February 11, 2023 | 12:51 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
STUDENTS OF Grange Hill High School in Westmoreland are now in a better position to transform their lives through music and sports, having received a donation of assorted musical equipment and sporting gear under the Ministry of National Security’s ‘Liv Gud’ Music, Sports, and Technology (MST) initiative’.
The Liv Gud, MST initiative, which was first introduced in 2018, is one of the strategic social intervention activities within vulnerable communities targeting at-risk youth by the Ministry of National Security, as part of its critical tool to reconnect with young people.
Trumpets, percussion drums, keyboards, netball and football gear were among the list of equipment and gear presented to the Grange Hill High School administrators on Friday by portfolio minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Horace Chang, during a ceremony at the school.
“Violence has crept in and we have to find a way to redirect those youngsters and in redirecting them, it’s not just a matter of policing, we have to find a way to get into the family space and offer those families opportunities,” said Chang.
The minister said no child is born violent, and that violence, which is now taking root in many schools across the island, especially those from troubled communities, is not part of Jamaica’s culture.
“Our culture is more a reflection of what we are doing in presenting music equipment and sports equipment to benefit our students,” he argued.
Chang lamented the fact that Jamaica is known globally as a sporting giant and that our athletes are world-beaters.
“Our music, reggae, is the language of the world. It’s universal, and when our students apply themselves, they are outstanding in academia, mathematics and science,” the minister noted.
Accordingly, Chang acknowledged that if students were to combine all of that sporting and musical talent they would do better in academics, therefore producing more versatile individuals in the society.
Speaking at the event, Samuel Williams, chairman of the school’s board of management, expressed his appreciation for the items and the fact that his school was selected as part of the initiative.
“We are happy that you have chosen this institution and we want to thank you for coming and highlighting this institution where it is surrounded by communities in the violent zone,” Williams said.
Responding to the donation of sports and musical equipment, Trevino Donaldson-Lawrence, principal of Grange Hill High, said the donation will go a far way in helping to steer her students away from the violence unfolding in the wider community of Grange Hill.
“As a nation and as a school when we can divert students’ attention and activities into things along the positive side such as music and sports, it changes their mindset for good,” Donaldson-Lawrence told The Gleaner.
Admitting that sports is a major unifying force among the young, the secondary school administrator said the male students at her school will be positively engaged in playing football while developing their skills. A similar approach will be done with the female students using the game of netball and other sports.
“We recognise that all our students are not as academically inclined as others, therefore we have to tap into other areas to engage and meet them where they are,” she explained.
Understanding the need to fulfil the strategic motto of the Ministry of Education, which speaks to the fact that ‘Every child can learn, Every child must learn’, Donaldson-Lawrence noted that to achieve the target it will require different approaches.
“Not everyone will be able to go with the 1, 2, 3, or ABC methods, some persons will learn through sports, others through music via a variety of musical instruments,” she said.
Reflecting on the impact of the violence in the school community, the experienced educator noted it is not being played out within the school space.
“The activities of crime and violence are not pronounced within the school space, but what you will find is that they (students) will at times take their frustration into the streets,” Donaldson-Lawrence admitted. “They would reach out to family members and other persons from their community to defend them and that’s how the community influences come in,” she added.