Letter of the Day | Ensure safety of children during summer break

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The school year has come to an end and the students have raced off into their summer break. Many parents embrace the summer break as a welcomed respite. The period of not sending children to school gives them some form of reprieve from having to traverse the roads every day to take the children to school, of facing the financial burden of finding lunch money from Monday to Friday. Thus, a parent’s brief sigh of relief is quite understandable. Amid the freedom of summer, however, parents and guardians need to be cautioned about the potential dangers posed by unscrupulous predators, especially for children who may be left unsupervised.

There has to be a level of consciousness about the impending dangers that are threats to the lives and well-being of children. All well-thinking members of our collective village should be very active where the safety of the children are concerned, especially during the summer break. The schools may have closed their doors momentarily, but there are unconscionable and duplicitous predators that lie in wait for children who may not have the safety mechanisms in the home activated. Considering that some parents must continue their professional duties, leaving their ‘free’ children unattended at home, these circumstances may result in more disorder than the advantages typically afforded by the summer break.

During the academic year, the average child spends roughly seven hours each weekday within the secure confines of the school environment. Following the end of a school day, many children either return home with their parents or come home around the same time their parents do. Although our schools are faced with occasional episodes of violence, in the grand scheme of things, they provide the shelter and anchorage that many of our children do not get even in their own home environments. Now, where will that support come from when parents still have to put their shoulders to the wheel, with no adult care for the children during the work hours? It is this complication that sets our children up to be harmed, or to venture into activities that can affect them for the rest of their lives.

If the COVID-19 pandemic has imparted any lesson, it is the heightened vulnerability of unsupervised children to various risks, including exposure to harmful activities and dangerous individuals. Left unattended, children may engage in hazardous behaviours, such as vaping, premature sexual activities, or extended absence from home, placing them in precarious situations. The frequency of reports concerning missing children, some of whom have met tragic ends, underscores the dire consequences of inadequate supervision.

Parents, guardians, and supportive citizens should take a proactive stance in safeguarding our children. Parents might explore options like summer school, vacation Bible schools at church, summer camps, or voluntary services to ensure their children are safely and productively occupied. Additionally, while children participate in these activities, it remains the duty of all citizens to report any harmful situations they observe, ensuring the well-being and safety of our children.

ALETHIA-ELIZABETH BROWN