The Blue Ribbon Drive Against Child Abuse, an initiative of the gender affairs committee of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT), was launched yesterday at Hillaby/Turner's Hall Primary School, Farmer's, St Thomas, by committee chairman Everton Briggs and union president Karen Best.

The drive, which is primarily targeting teachers, runs until the end of June. For $5, the teacher gets a ribbon as well as a bookmark.

Briggs said the project was conceptualised after "observing what was going on in society" and after cases involving students with bruises were highlighted in the media that negatively reflected on teachers.

"The gender affairs committeeof the Barbados Union of Teachers decided to come up with this blue ribbon drive against child abuse. The target group is the teachers. We're asking [them] to make a statement saying that we are definitely against child abuse and to put to rest any rumours out there that teachers abuse children.

"It is noted that the school is a home away from home and the teachers act as parents for those hours when they are at school and we play many roles in the lives of the children and it is really outrageous to think that we are the parents of children . . . and we resort to abuse," he said.

Briggs, a special needs teacher at the school, also lamented the widening gap between teachers and students and noted there was a need to get the parents more involved in school activities.

The BUT executive member added the drive would be extended to the ancillary staff and the wider public. The drive runs again in November and the plan is to make it an annual event. (DS)