Children suggest ways of ending truancy
The age old saying that children should be seen and not heard is fast becoming a thing of the past. And no where was the move more visible than today at a workshop held at the Radisson Fort George Hotel in Belize City.
Observers say far too many school aged children are beating the streets instead of being in classroom learning to read and write. Although the problem of absenteeism is nothing new to Belize, it wasn’t until two years ago that teachers began to notice an increase in the number of primary school students absent daily from school. Whether the increase is attributed to the retrenchment of nearly all the truant officers, educators believe that the sole officer left to do the job is nearly not enough in patrolling the streets or schools for out of school kids. In their ongoing effort to have children stay in school, the National Committee for Families and Children in conjunction with the Pediatric Society and education department, today called on the children to come forward with ideas of how they can help their peers in getting an education.
Tasha Young, 13 Year Old
“We have been gathering information about the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The different categories that they put the convention under, such as the survival, the development and participation that children need to be engaged in, so they can develop in prominent citizen of Belize.”
Francisco Puck, Project Officer, NCFC
“I think what we are trying to do is to live up to one of the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child which is that of participation. A lot of participation has been symbolic. Now we are moving in the real term, you know make it very real for children and they can contribute a lot. Basically these children have done some research on the topic where they are discussing absenteeism and they know why they don’t go to school, so they can give us their own perspective to that.”
Over thirty students came together for the one day workshop that discussed the problem of absenteeism. The children participated in group sessions, and activities and shared their personal views on how to help other boys and girls stay in school.
Ron Cunningham, 12 Year Old
“Children can play a very important role in solving the problem of absenteeism. For instance while going at school children might see some friends doing things other than what they should be doing, like stealing from the market. They can go and report these things to the principal or someone who would take action immediately.”
Michelle Webster, 11 Year Old
“Well children will be more likely to see eye to eye with other children so they can just talk to them about the benefit of going to school and about what can happen if the don’t go to school because their future really depends on going to school and they need to safeguard their future because that?s very important thing. They need an education. When you are a child that’s the more vital thing. So I think that children play a very large role in this problem because they can really talk to the other children and the absentee will feel more calm around them, more easier to talk to a child than an adult.”
Besides the pep talk, the students gave other examples of how they can physically help make a difference.
Eric Tillett, 12 Year Old
“Well I can encourage them to, encourage them to help them come to school. If they are in need of something, I can help them buy it, like if someone has already passed the grade they are in, I could ask them for the books, if it is text books they need. I could ask the teachers to help them with fund raising and at our school we have a feeding program and we can help them, Wesley Upper School can help them with the feeding program.”
While the students believe that they can help in solving the problem of absenteeism, they realize they can’t do it alone and that the Ministry of Education also has a role to play.
Anthony Mendez, 12 Year Old
“Well my opinion is that I can simply convinced other children, write to the Prime Minister of Belize and ask him to help us kids because when we grow up it will be our world and not theirs.”
Q: “In what ways would you want Government to help you kids?”
Anthony Mendez
“Well I would like them to donate money to the poor.”
Natalie Hamilton, 13 Year Old
“Well I think they are trying, but they have to improve better like have clubs and workshops like what we are having today, so that the children can learn and develop and believe deep within themselves that they are the future.”
According to Francisco Puck, a Project Officer with NCFC, while they have not yet made a presentation to Government on the issue of absenteeism, he believes the problem is more than just a lack of finances.
Francisco Puck
“To be truthful no, we are just starting this process with the children, but we have also been meeting with adult community in many ways. I was in San Narciso addressing the Parent Teachers? Association and we talk about it. I think that we find, yes there is a lot of economic problem these days and people are concerned, but I think the message out there is that parents have to sort of take a retreat and see how they can help their children. We found out that when we did the legal reform consultation throughout the country that a very clear indication, that there is a lack of parental support. Although parents may be at home everyday, they don’t seem to find the time to spend with their children to show their interest, their love and give them guidance. So it?s not only economic, it?s more than that; it?s much more than that.”
The ideas and suggestions coming from the nation’s youngest citizens will form the basis for a plan of action to keep kids in school.
Children’s Week is being observed under the theme: “Safeguard the Rights of Children, Secure Their Education and Development Now.”
