Retired parliamentarian Pearnel Charles expressed his disappointment about the inability to get thousands of children back in the classrooms. Charles pointed out that education is an important avenue in steering youth away from crime.

Charles Sr: Command missing students back to classrooms

Retired politician dismisses rationale for minors seeking jobs

26 Jul 2022/Christopher Thomas

FORMER JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) Deputy Leader Pearnel Charles Sr is urging political representatives to intensify efforts to have students displaced from the education system by the pandemic back into the classroom to finish their formal education, lest they end up turning to crime.

Charles made the call while addressing Sunday evening’s JLP divisional meeting at Nain Basic School in St Elizabeth to boost support for the party’s prospective candidate for the Myersville division in the upcoming polls, Delroy Hutchinson.

“Thousands of children have not gone back to school, and what are you doing? Councillors, walk in the district and tell the pickney, ‘You have to go back to school’. This Government has put on additional funds for each child for PATH, and the present Government will make sure that every child has the opportunity to go back to school,” said Charles, referencing the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education, a state welfare initiative.

“Every member of parliament, every justice of the peace, every community leader, I call on you today, if the children do not go back to school, they will be going to a school that you do not want them to go to. They will be under the tree, and then you will hear when the Americans come for them,” Charles warned.

He was alluding to a flurry of extradition requests from the United States in recent times for Jamaicans who have been charged with lottery scamming, money laundering, drug-running and other crimes.

TAKE GREATER RESPONSIBILITY

Charles also called on parents to take greater responsibility for their children’s education, rubbishing the perspective of students leaving school to seek employment in order to help their families financially.

“I am hurt so much when I hear children saying, ‘My mother say mi a 16 and mi get a little job. Mi can’t give it up.’ Rubbish! Go back to school,” said Charles. “I appeal to you mothers and fathers who do not come to PTA meetings, get your children back in school, because this Government is spending millions and millions to make sure that the children come up in a better way. Parents, you are responsible for your children, and you have read, you have seen, and you must take the lead.”

In May this year, it was reported that approximately 27,000 children have not returned to school since full in-person learning resumed at the primary and secondary levels, with several students having taken on employment with meagre earnings.

Richard Troupe, the acting director of the Safety and Security Unit in the Ministry of Education, indicated at that time that legal action may be taken against parents who are found to be neglectful in ensuring that their children are in school.

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