The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Caribbean Breweries Association has officially launched the second phase of its ‘Ask, Listen, Learn’ Classroom Champions Programme in Dominica.
The programme was developed by the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking, and to promote responsible decision making regarding the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
“The programme is a proactive measure which seeks to sensitize students on the issue of alcohol abuse prevention among youth,” Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Marcella Powell said while addressing the launching ceremony held at the Garraway Hotel on Tuesday. “This second phase of the intervention is due to the tremendous successes of the first phase within four primary schools and the excellent reviews obtained both from the participation schools and the foundation for advancing alcohol responsibility, the primary sponsors of the programme.”
According to Powell, the second phase of the programme will be done in five additional schools: Penville Primary, Roosevelt Douglas Primary, San Sauveur Primary, Bagatelle Primary and Roseau Primary School.
She noted further that within the Ministry of Education students success is viewed as multi-dimensional.
“Consequently, students overall development is critical to their success,’ she said.
She stated that the ministry embraces every opportunity to further alert students on the social challenges which may serve as impediments to their success at school.
Powell also stated that the alcohol prevention initiative focuses on the initial aspects of the health and family life education curriculum.
“It includes areas such as goal setting, healthy living and the importance of resisting peer pressure”, Powell explained. “These areas are critical to students’ holistic development.”
Powell said she is happy that the issue of alcohol use among young people was given such attention.
“In bringing this issue to the fore, we hope that greater discussion will be generated, further sensitizing students on the dangers of alcohol abuse,” she remarked. “Such a programme holds tremendous benefits, not only for our students but also for our society as a whole. Our students, therefore, need to know that even moderate intake of alcohol has the potential to affect their capacity for learning and consequently their ability to function in the classroom.”
Meantime Coordinator for Health and Family Life Education, Renna Jno Charles said the programme also helps to educate children on the dangers of underage drinking.
“It also partners with other organizations like classroom champions and celebrity ambassadors…,’’she said.
Jno Charles explained that the programme was first materialized here in Dominica in 2013/2014 and was piloted in four schools.
She said 575 students and 27 teachers participated.
“The schools piloted were, Grandbay, Goodwill, Sineku and Salybia Primary School,” Jno Charles stated. “The programme ran for about twelve weeks and was well received by both teachers and students, and reportedly so successful that the piloted schools continued to incorporate components of the programme, like goal setting in their lessons and activities even after the programme ended.”
She went on to say that the ‘Ask, Listen and Learn’ programme also supports Health and Family Life Education curriculum in the strand, appropriate eating and fitness where nutrition and drug education prevention and healthy lifestyle choices are addressed.
Presently a total of 380 students and 26 teachers are expected to benefit from the programme
The facilitator of the workshop is Leticia Barr.
The programme is also being implemented in St Lucia and Grenada.
The act of Third-world -ism is crippling us in Dominica . The horrible truth is that we are not even aware of it. We are always the last to know and the last to realize . Amazing . And I see no end in the near future.
Whilst teaching the children the dangers of excessive drinking & drugs , the alcohol consumers and abusers of the next generation is a commendable lesson for them. The Police Service of Dominica Treat drinking and driving as a joke and do not believe it should be punished either when stopping drivers for other misdemeanors or after serious crashes that in some cases have taken lives because of excessive alcohol consumption. Prosecuting Drinking drivers saves lives. perhaps the Police are frightened they will have to prosecute themselves to often
Alcohol and drugs impede the mind and learning process. We do know they are unhealthy. Those who are intoxicated and drive also cause accidents, some fatal ones.
There are some, if they take them, once they penetrate the mind, brains and blood stream, they can no longer function socially. As it is said, some people cannot hold it. They become boisterous, etc.
Keep at it and educate the youths accordingly. If they learn this at an early age, they may not have the urge to take them when they get older.
These two can also destroy a happy home and relationship. Where alcohol is concerned, for adults, drink moderately. St. Paul said: “Have a little wine. It is good for the stomach but do not get drunk.”
As for illegal drugs, they should be avoided at all costs. Those who smoke them do not do so moderately. They take them full blast. This is why they are also a health hazard and even worst than alcohol, the latter, if taken moderately.
What am I missing? The Ministry of Education partnering with Caribbean Breweries Association in seeking to reduce the demand for alcohol by minors. The Caribbean Breweries Association represent people who sell alcohol. Mixed messages…conflicting signals…double standards…The children see it just as I am seeing it and you are seeing it. If you’re leading, lead. There is something called ethical leadership. As leaders, learn it. That is not it.
Here in Canada we have breweries and distillers running T.V. ads at Christmas telling people to “Enjoy Responsibly”. The government passed legislation limiting the ways and places they are allowed to advertise. This surely takes first prize for innovation.
Every precious human life that is lost this Christmas because of alcohol will be taken by somebody who thought they were “enjoying responsibly”.
Children and young people are often the first to detect the inconsistency in this type of thing.
Mixed messages
Conflicting signals 
Double standards 
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill.
It always amazes me to see all these bureaucrats sit around a table and talk all day and nothing comes off all that talk. We are particularly good at talking in the Caribbean.
Having said that, we can educate and also pass and ENFORCE laws. If an establishment sells alcohol to a minor (they can make it anywhere from 18 to 21), they should be charged accordingly. And ENFORCE that law.
All this talk and no law enforcement will amount to nothing. It will be no different than all the talking they have done in the past with no results to show for it.
Law enforcement is all that is needed.
There is absolutely no sense in having laws if they are not enforced. This applies to selling alcohol to minors AND drinking and driving for people of any age. It applies to laws that are to protect children against abuse, and laws against any type of violence.
It is rumored that the behavior of some of the officers off duty has compromised their job performance.
Many of the alcohol problems can be attributed to a lack of enforcement. We have heard of drivers who have been stopped for a minor offence and when it became obvious they were “under the influence” nothing was said about that. The officer merely admonished them and waved them on.
Do you have a law that forbids selling alcohol to minors? Is so it would not – could not – become an issue if the police were doing their job. Charge the reprobates! Fine them enough to put the fear of God into very shop keeper and bartender on the island. Next time around revoke their retail license.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill.
Its interesting that Caribbean Breweries is sponsoring. Its a good step in the education process. But we have much further to go regarding alcohol consumption deterrent. The initiatives must be supported by legislation. Too many minors have free reign to liquor. its one thing to know the hazards, quite another to resist from peers and during fete time, of which we have no shortage. There should be laws preventing minors from consumption…but also we have to look at things like drunk driving deterrence too
In many cases the people who sell alcohol have no desire to stop minors from buying and drinking it. If they cared about the well being of people young or old they would not be selling the stuff to anybody.
In addition you would find some of them sell weed under the counter and do other business on the side.
Take note of the people who come and go. Often the type of individuals who hang out at their establishment is a dead giveaway.
The real test of a person’s character is what they will do for money. Many people appear legit until they have a chance to make a buck. Watch how they do it! If they don’t care if it is legal or not – if they don’t mind who it may hurt – they are likely to seize an even bigger opportunity, and do something much worse the next time.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill.