Primary school works to prevent violence

Most Belizeans who grew up in what we like to think were simpler times agree that with all the dangers and pressures out there, childhood can be a challenging experience. This morning News Five’s Janelle Chanona looked at what one Belize City school is doing to help students avoid the pitfalls.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
This morning standard six students of St. John’s Anglican School were officially inducted in the Smart Students, Smart Choices program.

Carolyn Wesby, Anglican Counsellor
“Our program today is one of prevention.”

For the past year, the students participated in after school classes in conflict resolution, problem solving, anger management and self esteem building.

Carolyn Wesby
“They will be role models and so they will have to keep check that the other children don’t misbehave. They will be like the watchmen then making sure—watchmen and watchwomen—making sure that we have peace in our school.”

According to Anglican Counsellor Carolyn Wesby, the idea is teach the boys and girls how to be productive citizens in a tough society.

Carolyn Wesby
“Our children are somewhat challenging and in a time of violence and crime we have decided that we need to start within our schools, start training our children, our boys and girls, so that they don’t end up out there and also at the same time, removing the stigma that we are from the south side, we’re no good and that we are a ghetto school or ghetto children.”

“We just want to have everybody look at our school positively, help our children. We keep blaming our youths but we are the adults that have to take care of them so that they keep on the straight path.”

To that end, today St. John’s also launched a “Godmother/Godfather” mentoring program to bolster the school’s efforts to cultivate a happier, safer learning environment.

Carolyn Wesby
“Taking them on school trips, on field trips, coming in giving motivational talks, going and meeting their parents as well. Because if the parents don’t want to come to us then we will in turn have to go to them.”

Administrators hope to launch similar initiatives in other Anglican schools. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.