I CAHN TELL YOU how good I felt when I looked in the newspaper the other day and see dem schoolchildren from Coleridge & Parry cleaning and scrubbing off all the lot o’ junk dat dem hard-mout wretches had scrawl on pon the people good bus.
Then again, I cahn tell you how vex I was when I see dem young adults, who should know better, scrubbing the roof, the sides o’ the bus, the back o’ the bus seats and all around the insides o’ the bus.
And ya know wha’ make me even more vex? It is when I could look and see dat all o’ dem was senior students.
I aint see one o’ dem students in khaki, nuh li’l people hear?
Now you gine tell me dat dem aint know right from wrong? You gine tell me dat dem doan know dat the younger students watching dem? You gine tell me dat dem students doan know dat it is their parents who scratching duh heads and pulling out duh hair evah single day and night tuh give dem a proper education?
You gine tell me dat dem doan know dem parents wukking hard and smelling hell in these hard times tuh make sure dat dem receive a quality education and have a better quality of life than they demselves had; wha’ duh think um is though? Dem aint getting sent tuh school tuh be vandals.
I aint know if these students bout here doan understand what is offered tuh dem, free of cost? Duh got young people in other countries who would die fuh the opportunities dat these students taking fuh granted and more than willing tuh throw away.
Sometimes I does have tuh wonder if these young Facebook and YouTube copycats does ever stop tuh think dat the same public buses dem marking up and defacing was bought wid the hard-earned taxes dem parents and other hardworking Barbadians pay, and continue tuh pay tuh maintain these buses and keep dem pon the road evah single day.
But tell me something, why duh marking up and defacing the Government buses fuh? Why duh doan go and mark up the minibuses dat duh does have tuh pay for? The buses dat duh like tuh fight tuh cram duhselves into and do the dog in?
Look, it is about time dat these children start tuh respect peoples’ property. It is about time the authorities start tuh make these lawless young people take responsibility fuh their actions, early. Not wait ’til duh come outta school and start tuh do the same thing at a much higher level.
It is about time dat people come tuh realise dat it aint only the children from certain districts and areas who does be doing the wrong things, but also the goody-goody ones who does do duh wickedness so dat duh friends could laugh and then wipe duh mouts clean and guh long tuh duh nice well adjusted homes.
I am glad dat the parents of these students were notified and realize the stupidness dat their children have been doing. I am also glad dat they are on board wid the school and I hope the action this particular school took will be a wake-up call for other schools, students and their parents.
It is about time dat some parents come tuh see dat it aint somebody else’s children but dem own good-behave, nice children who does act one way when duh home and a completely different way when duh get wid duh friends. It is about time dat the principals of these schools are given lee-way tuh punish these children according tuh the wickedness they do.
It is about time dat the Ministry of Education stop protecting its own image and minimizing the extent o’ the problems dat keep happening in the schools. It is about time duh stop cushioning and handling these young adults wid kid gloves and start making an example outta dem. It is about time dat the ministry works with the school principals tuh get a lot o’ this lawlessness under control.
I am one o’ the people who agree wid Karen Best when she talk bout setting up a boot camp fuh the children who refuse tuh abide by the rules and regulations of the institutions they go tuh. Ya see, it is one thing tuh punish dem but it is another thing tuh instil in dem the values, principles and the appreciation fuh people property.
Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. she has an opinion on everything.
