Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones is concerned that too many of this country’s vulnerable children are being left on the sidelines.
Addressing a gathering of young teachers today who are about to pursue diploma and certificate programmes in education at the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College he urged them to bring the child that is failing and vulnerable further to the centre, rather than leave that child on the periphery.
In a passionate address, Jones warned: “That child on the periphery is a dangerous child. He is also a thinking child. Even though we may not think so, it is true.
“The child that is thinking may think that somewhere along the line he did not receive his just reward, whatever that just reward is. But part of that just reward as far as I am concerned is the ability for teachers to understand that that child is suffering and to take that child and love that child first and foremost,” he said.
The Government minister told the educators that they were called to bring about change and to make a difference.
“You are social workers, you are counsellors, you are psychiatrists, you are winner of souls and changers of minds and you have to accept that responsibility. It is not about a pay cheque,” he said.
“I am passionate when I hear a teacher verbally assaults a child because the greatest damage that a teacher can do a child is the use of the rotten word, the hurtful word, that damages a child almost forever,” Jones told the gathering.
nevilleclarke@barbadostoday.bb