PM Skerrit tells students to stay away from drugs, alcohol

Students of the school during the ceremony
Students of the school during the ceremony

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has advised students of the Newtown Primary School to stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Speaking at the official opening and commissioning of the China-funded new school on Monday, he said such substances don’t belong in the lives of students.

“I want you to stay away from drugs and alcohol; these things have no place in your life,” he said. “You can do without it and therefore you should stay without it. Make yourself proud by being excellent in what you do and make your parents proud because many of your parents are sacrificing many things to allow you to have the opportunity to attend school.

He also advises the students to take their education seriously.

“I want to say to students you need to take education seriously, you need to study, you need to respect yourself, respect your fellow classmates, respect your teachers, respect your parents and respect those in authority and those in our society,” he said.

Skerrit told the students to stay in school and do well to move on to secondary school, “because this government has ensured that every single child in Dominica who gets to Grade 6 at the primary school level has a space at a secondary school in Dominica.”

“We firmly believe in this government that every single child born has the ability to learn and every single child born has talent and skills and it is left to us as a society and educators to allow those talents to shine forth and let our students know that they are in fact bright and intelligent,” he stated. “No child is stupid as we say sometimes, every single child is bright and it is left to us as teachers to use our skills, our education, our training to bring these things out of our children.”

Skerrit called on teachers to take their role seriously, “because what you say and what you do to a child in these five hours which you have with him in a day can decide what the child becomes tomorrow.”

He called on parents to let children and neighbours know at the home that education is a priority.

“We must not leave our children without the needs to take advantage of the access to education and spend our money on a 50-inch screen television from a service provider in Dominica,” he remarked.“We cannot say we do not have monies to buy a text book but we have a Smartphone cost $2700. We cannot say that we are too busy to come to PTA meetings and to collect our children’s report books and then we spend three nights in the Windsor Park Stadium at festival.”

Skerrit believes that it’s through education children will get out of poverty.

“When our children go to school and do well nobody can take this away from them,” he remarked. “Therefore as a country I want us to rededicate ourselves to the well-being of our children.”

President of Dominica His Excellency Charles Savarin and Mrs Savarin, Parliamentary Representative of the Roseau South Constituency, Joshua Francis, Speaker of the House of Assembly Alix Boyd-Knights, Mayor of Roseau Irene John among other distinguished guests were present at the ceremony.

The school was funded by the government of the People’s Republic of China to the sum of $6-million.

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22 Comments

  1. viewsexpressed
    September 29, 2016

    I look for consistency in a leader and Skerrit is not a leader to emulate nor is he a role model to follow. At the head of a government and with allegations outstanding warranting investigation of bin Bobol, disrespecting the constitution, no regards for the opposition, how on earth can this inept PM give good and sound advice to my son and the children of this school. These appearances at functions and opening school is just a political red herring to gain popularity and fame and does not fit into the decency of good governance, role model for children hoping to be public servants at se stage. This is bad company to be with.
    Mr Inept PM, show us your company and we tell you who you are. Please stay away from our innocent children, the leaders of tomorrow.

  2. September 28, 2016

    If I lived in Dominica and had children in school this is the type of message I would want to hear from our Prime Minister. This is the kind of P.M. we need in Canada, not one who is legalizing marijuana, and sodomy.

    Mr. Skerrit’s advice to stay away from drugs and alcohol is appreciated. Encouraging young people to take education seriously is certainly appropriate. I admire the great job your educators are doing which is reflected in the significant number who are going on to colleges and universities.

    Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill.

    • viewsexpressed
      September 29, 2016

      Rev Hill, stay on focus within the theme of consistency good governance & leadership expected of this PM It is like the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. My point is Skerrit is attempting to score point to build up an already tarnish reputation when his legacy is already tarnished and questionable.
      Now, let us read and analyse this statement below by Skerrit, and tell me who is going to take Skerrit seriously?
      “Skerrit called on teachers to take their role seriously, “because what you say and what you do to a child in these five hours which you have with him in a day can decide what the child becomes tomorrow.”

      Asking “teachers to role seriously?” Does he has, he taken his role seriously?
      Now, five hours, one year has passed and over ten (10) years as Prime Minister see what happen in office as PM?
      As a man of the bible , you know very well that until the devil repents, take stock of his sins and bad behaviour in public office he will not enter the…

      • Are we a hypocrit nation or a tired people? Tres Fatigue nous somes
        September 29, 2016

        “Skerrit called on teachers to take their role seriously, “because what you say and what you do to a child in these five hours which you have with him in a day can decide what the child becomes tomorrow.”
        Who were your teachers Skerro? hahahahahahah man everytime your speak is like U tickling me under my feet and my armpits.
        Man Skerro your teachers must be wondering if they wasted their daily 5 hrs back in the in the 70, ,80’s and beyond I wonder what Peters who got U into LSU etc thinks truly!

    • Dear Rev. Hillibillie
      September 29, 2016

      Man you doh tied sing for ur super? You not in DA to be a sheep!
      If you are in Rev with a church the main office paying you plus the parishoners 10% of their individual salaries the REd Clinic paying U externally to send propaganda online sites like DNO?
      Sad Rev Shame on you. That’s what you have become? having migrated you should not be a KA to Skerrit et Al. You should be seeing the world thru different pair of eyes. Do U wear glasses Rev?
      You need to change em.There is always a sale on eyeglasses up north 2 pairs 4 $100 Canadian.

  3. Tell the Truth
    September 27, 2016

    Excellent advice. I hope they keep it in mind. Those school years fly fast. They must not be wasted.
    At their age and while they are attending school it must be embedded in them to stay away from drugs and alcohol.
    Parents must take an interest in also their school work and ensure they do their homework. Children do need parental supervision. As students, they must go to sleep at a certain time so that they could wake up refreshed in the morning, ready for school.
    Teachers as well must be helpful to the children especially if they observe a few are slow of learning. They will need extra lessons.

  4. D/can to de Bone (F)
    September 27, 2016

    Echo in their heads to report child abuse in any form of abuse especially the rampant physical n sexual abuse in Dominica. … it a disgrace it’s still on after all the preaching about it …. The teach erst must e curate them to report it to them or anyone responsible. Image a prominent politician kn the United Kingdom said it a dis grace for a small island why those it have all this child abuse against children awhile now and not her g is being done alm these years. He said the system including the politicians have failed the children

  5. Mannie
    September 27, 2016

    So why give it to their parents?

  6. kev
    September 27, 2016

    isnt it ironic ,he is telling kids to stay away from drugs w,when he himself is on the intoxicating drug of political power.

  7. shay
    September 27, 2016

    I love the school uniforms in Dominica. They so cute and make our students look sharp!

  8. Me
    September 27, 2016

    And whilst you are at it also impress upon them that they must follow the laws of the land and respect the constitution.

  9. lollipophead.com
    September 27, 2016

    de country nice boy :) :) :wink:

    • skerrit4pm
      September 27, 2016

      yes wii :lol:

  10. Music Producer
    September 27, 2016

    Lovely message from the PM. The children should be protected from the drug peddlers and ALCON should echo the PM’s message on drug abstinence.

    • September 28, 2016

      ”Lovely” indeed :!:

      It was well worded and well written.

      It is a blessing to have such encouragement coming from the top.

      Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill.

      • viewsexpressed
        September 29, 2016

        LOL….LOL….Really??????????

      • Happy Rev on a Hill top
        September 29, 2016

        Sitting in Canada is nice truly wonderful . Fooling the congregation of hard working honest people who have been brain washed by religion and politics.
        The church pays so does the Gov’t of DA even to loyal pastors in distant lands so Revs get fatter eat well ej at the family table( pastors/Revs) each member of the Rev’s family has his/her own bottle of Ketchup and pepper sauce lol life is damn good.
        Chat ur phat Rev your belly full and distended out here people beginning to pass gas from empty belies while you chat ur phat online.
        You go Girl! lol

      • Happy Rev on a Hill top
        September 29, 2016

        Happy Rev on a Hill top That was extremely hilarious The Rev Hill is living like Donald Trump in his own reality as Hillary said Monday night.

        Rev Hill must be living Bigly as trump himself would say on the backs of the congregation in Brandford. ONT. only when man belly full and them bread buttered them chat so much BS
        Isn’t the Rev male? As Happy Rev on a Hill top said U go girl. hahahahahahaah. ALLU have jokes. If REV went to NC AND TRIED USING THE WASH ROOM WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?HAHAAHAHA Blows on the REV.

    • Music on th Hill
      September 29, 2016

      Music Producer and exactly who are they ???? who are the most corrupt on island as Angelo would say!
      If you and Rev Hill are benefting then that is understandable your Continue to sing to the piper.
      Poverty does that.
      A question to U and the REV- Is our society better or has it taken a turn negatively since 2004?
      If you have cojones u will answer honestly. Are we D/cans better off greedier plus voleur qui avant 2004?

  11. Itassi 2
    September 27, 2016

    “I want you to stay away from drugs and alcohol; these things have no place in your life,” he said. “You can do without it and therefore you should stay without it. Make yourself proud by being excellent in what you do and make your parents proud because many of your parents are sacrificing many things to allow you to have the opportunity to attend school.

    Very good advise MR Skerrit. However, is not what we say but what we do. It is a fact that during the last 10 yrs we have seen a high increase in alcohol consumption, particularly amongst young children and women. During that same time, a month cannot go by without hearing of a fete or sewo SPONSORED by the government as a team, or the parliamentary representative of the government. During such fete/sewo we see a high consumption of alcohol by our children and I firmly believe Skerrit and the dlp have a lot to do with children’s involvement with alcohol, drugs, sex etc. Don’t create the environment and later warn try to warn…

  12. Reader
    September 27, 2016

    … Yet we are given alcohol during Political Conventions… Make up your mind PM

  13. d-a born
    September 27, 2016

    Not a fan of his but he made some good points. Education is the key.

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