ARCHBISHOP Dr John Holder says it is important that young people make the most of the multimillion-dollar investment in their education.The Bishop of Barbados made this call at the Diocesan Synod of the Anglican Church at the St Michael Cathedral yesterday.“It is understandable why there will be the type of discussion we are hearing, if it is perceived that some of our youth are not making the best use of the golden opportunities for their development that are available to them.“When the largest item in our budget, well over $500 million, goes towards the development of our youth, from education in schools to a wide range of other education activities, there is need for vigilance to ensure that there is a sense of responsibility from those who benefit.”The Archbishop of the West Indies said it was natural there would be some concern.“There is a need to ensure that the taxpayers’ money is put to good use and those who benefit from it understand the responsibility that comes with the opportunities it provides.“Whenever there seems to be wastage, whenever there seems to be a lack of understanding of how much we are spending on education by those on whom the money is being spent, there will be the concern,” he added.“We must, however, ask ourselves two questions: is the trend that we are detecting among some of our youth simply a case of young, inquisitive, restless minds following ways that may not be too useful for their wholesome development?“Or secondly, is it one that is the direct result of adults taking their hands too quickly off the rudder and not offering the firm guidance and the support that are critical for helping our youth in their development into responsible adults, thus allowing others to entice them into negative behaviour?”Turning his congregation’s attention to the global economic recession, the archbishop said there were lessons of character for Barbadians to learn from.“They can teach us about our limitations and our strengths. They should remind us of our vulnerability but also about our resilience in crisis.“These are qualities that we need to have at work in our country at this time. They are the type that we readily associate with the Barbadian personality,” he said.Holder said that countries, like companies, were being driven to bankruptcy.“There is Iceland and Greece, and the list may get longer. What just a few years ago seemed impossible is now harsh reality. But the challenge before us is not simply one about creating jobs and balancing budgets. “It is also about grappling with a sense of vulnerability, the type of which we probably have not experienced for a long time, if ever. For even if we are able to reconstruct a far better world economic system, the taste of our vulnerability will linger long in our mouths.” (MK)
