The issue of sexual abuse against children was brought to the fore yesterday when Prime Minister, Dr. the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell, meet with senior education officials.
Sexual exploitation of minors was one of the main talking points at the meeting, as the Prime Minister continued his series of ministry engagements.
Dr. Mitchell lamented the growing prevalence of the problem and suggested that a meeting be convened among relevant persons to determine the way forward.
The bureaucracy of the public service was flagged as an issue and Dr. Mitchell said the need for redress is urgent.
The importance of psychological support for students was also a key talking point, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was recognized that with changes to the learning environment, due to the protocols, students are not benefitting from valuable face-to-face interaction with their teachers and friends.
Mention was made of the need to increase the number of counselors in the education system and the Prime Minister gave support to this saying it can be done without bloating the public service.
He reiterated the need for a more service-oriented strategy which allows for persons to be contracted to provide a service for which they are generously rewarded, rather than increasing the number of permanent positions within the public service.
Dr. Mitchell also recommended the consideration of counselling and psychology as an area of support for future Government scholarships.
Other issues discussed at yesterday’s meeting included school infrastructure and ensuring an appropriate maintenance plan is put in place; staffing challenges and the newly developed Substitute Teacher Policy which also addresses the general recruitment of teachers and ensuring quality teachers in the classroom.
