School children should not be involved in protests
Stabroek News
February 5, 2004
Dear Editor,
We complain about almost everything, but not one person said a word when parents leading children protested in front of the Ministry of Education.
They were protesting the situation at Winfer Gardens Primary last week. The big question is why is no one protesting the decision by parents and the Parent Teachers Association to have children of that school take to the streets to protest for a new school, much less during school hours.
Are there no lines of demarcation that govern protests?
In this small way we can develop a culture we will be unable to delink ourselves from, we are training our children to be protestors.Â
It would be sad to know that we are eager to groom a nation of protestors. Don't let ourselves get so caught up with the issues that we forget the prime reason for moulding our children.
In condoning children protesting, and protesting during school hours, we are breaking all the rules.
Believe it or not, there are children who are attending schools that are not as lovely as the new Winfer Garden Primary.
To encourage our children to protest is to send a clear signal that truancy is acceptable, that disobedience to a teacher is acceptable and that rebellion against authority is acceptable.
Is that what we want? This is unacceptable behaviour.
Yours faithfully,
Y Miller