Last night we told you about the shocking and explicit content of essays written by the students who sat this year’s Primary School Examination. Teachers checking the exams told us that in an alarming number of essays – the standard six students – for whom the average age is 12 - wrote about sex and violence, sometimes in graphic terms. Today Director of the National Committee for Families and Children Pearl Stuart told us why we should all be concerned.
Pearl Stuart, Exec. Dir. - NCFC
“I was shocked when I saw the piece on the news. It saddened me that our children, when given the opportunity to be creative, to express themselves, that a good number of them felt that their experiences were in fact sexual. But there is a prevalence out there indeed where sex becomes like a number one issue where unfortunately children aren’t children for too long, where children are having children. We also sponsor a Facts for Family Show on Monday nights and we’ve had all these topics being discussed. But it is a matter, I think, of all of us recognizing the need to be involved in our children’s lives – like I said from the church, from the government and from the families.
We did a public service announcement that children do what children see and that was quite explicit because it showed where if the mother is smoking or drinking or the father is smoking or drinking or abusing the spouse, the children see that and accept that as a means. If you’re cursing your child, if you’re calling them you’re no good or whatever you use on them, they find that that is acceptable. So that becomes a part of their language and we indeed have to recognize that they will follow what you do, they will say what you say, and we have to make sure that we have that environment that is a positive influence other than a negative one.”
The second leg of the PSE, which is math and social studies will be taken on May fourth.
