On a warm September morning more than three decades ago, I said an emotional good bye to my family and friends, the bucolic rolling hills and moonlight nights of my close–knit provincial southeastern agricultural community. I jumped on my uncle’s vehicle and headed in a north-westerly direction traveling on the winding roads with hair-pin-turns through the Trois Piton Mountains, Pont Casse and the Antrim Valley. My final destination was the greener pastures of the Dominica Grammar School (DGS) on Valley Road in the capital city of Roseau to acquire a high school education.
My first Head Master at DGS was a Welshman named Mr. J.K. Gough who was followed by Mr. Alexander, Mr. Leevy and Mr. Alwyn Bully. These leaders ran our school with authority and had zero tolerance for violence and disrespect. They were serious professionals with a serious job of educating and transcending their young charges and preparing them for tomorrow and the world. Trouble makers were punished without hesitation and often were suspended and a few were expelled. The take home message was that these men were fully in charge and one cannot learn in an undisciplined and chaotic environment. Our school (DGS) was viewed as a sanctuary for teachers, staff, students, well meaning parents and academia.
I still have the embroided DGS crest which the Head Boy, Prefects and Class Monitors proudly wore on the left breast pocket of the white shirt jacket uniform which has the school’s motto inscribe at the bottom: Mens Sana in Corpore Sano, a famous Latin quotation, which translates, “A sound mind in a sound body.” Today I still sing the DGS song, ‘ When boyhood (youthful) days are over … fare fore to wider lore… living on the old school spirit… craftsmen (and woman) for ever more… a school for human eyes…….
I am struck by what I am hearing and reading about the altercations at my alma mater. Where are the parents and the family and community networks? Do the families, our political and public leaders bear any type of responsibility and blame? In our small country where government ministers are looked upon with such high esteem and as leaders by young people, how many of them are decent role models for our children? Are the public behavior, actions and words of these ‘honorable’ gentlemen and ladies (of all stripes and colours) living up to any high standards that our young people should emulate and embrace?
An obvious example is the manner in which PM Skerrit masterminded and successfully carried out an electoral coup d’état’ in the La Plaine Constituency during the last general elections. Some eighty (80) Diaspora voters were airlifted on paid excursions and bused to the constituency to vote for the Labour candidate. This massive influx of voters was the only way Mr. Petter St. Jean (a born again Christian) could have beaten his UWP opponent by only two (2) votes. Mr. Skerrit, ‘Brother’ St. Jean and Labour won, but history will record and witness that Dominica lost the La Plaine constituency in 2009. In fact La Plaine has already lost because today it is probably the most divided rural community on the island with pro-Labour and pro-UWP supporters at each other’s throats. That was definitely not the experience I had growing up in that once close–knit and supportive rural community.
Adding insult to injury, the ‘declared’ winner, Mr. St. Jean, is now the Minister of Education responsibility for education our young folks and future leaders. The strong, powerful and shameful message and that is sent to students is loud and unambiguous. You can cheat, lie, trick, bend the rules and be dishonest and you will be rewarded. Also the larger policy questions for subsequent elections are far reaching and frigthening for our small country. Whoever the kingmaker is can get boat loads of Chinese immigrants from Guangdong, Haitians and Santo Domingoians to flood and vote in the Roseau, Portsmouth, coastal and rural constituencies. Then Dominica will lose 3 to 18 and the kingmaker (regardless of his political stripe or party colour) will win 18-3.
But loud headline grabbing pronouncements on the DGS issue by politicians are counterproductive. Instead a much broader constructive dialogue and long term strategic plan with timelines, evaluation measures and outcomes by civil society and experts in the field are needed to prevent the current and future parade of school violence. More sincere and fundamental actions and messages by appropriate messengers are needed to communicate effectively with offenders.
Where are the mature and ethical adults, committed parents, elders, community and religious leaders? If adults are behaving in such immature, disrespectful and negligent manners, then the children may just be mimicking what they are seeing and hearing. Today the world has changed and is more complex than ever with increased pressures on young people. The formula; Do as I say and not as I do is not working. These mixed messages are leaving our children with a ‘vikey vie’ don’t care attitude and disposition.
Our children are watching, listening and they are reacting. The saga at DGS is a failure of parenting, family networks and civil society and may be just be the tip of the iceberg of more troubles on the horizon. It is also due to the lack of moral, principled and myopic leadership that is demonstrated and perpetrated by the country’s top religious, social governmental, political and police leaders. This downward spiral and steady decline of Dominica’s moral compass and quality of its top leadership ( e.g. the police brass) should be of grave concern to all who love and care about Dominica whether you are at home or abroad.
But there are some silver linings occurring. The strong message of King Dice’s wining 2012 calypso song about bestowing more respect to teachers and the teaching profession is certainly a powerful and most timely message. The efforts of the Chief Education Officer and his group in formulating some prevention and intervention steps to reverse the tide of school violence are a start and positive step. But in order for Mr. Hyacinth’s plan to succeed and gain momentum, it will need everyone’s support. It will also need a firm pledge from (government and opposition) politicians not to meddle and make the initiative a political football because it will fail miserably. This is not a partisan issue, but a Dominican issue. When the souls of students and teachers are in trouble, then our country, future and democracy are in trouble. Dice, Steve Hyacinth, the majority of DGS students, teachers and some mature adults have heeded that ‘tsunami’ warning.
Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Dominica News Online.
Such an important topic should av been written in a neutral stance wi. I am no labor/Skeritt fanatic but to make school violence part of political battle, coming from a doctor??? poor taste, I like your group but cool down Finn!
tell you Anonymous, people look at all this violence, and breaking of the law as people following the leader, if they (the politicians) break the law and get away then people think they can do the same
Could someone please,please, please explain to me, why does every topic have to become one of a politcal nature. Is that the state of our country? Every matter is turned into a political war without the real problem being adequately dealt with?
Well, I don’t know, but I don’t know how you can take Politics out of major situations in Dominica. it is a Tiny country and everything is connected. It is unfortunate that the BAD that the government is doing far outweighs the good. Young men and woman who have never driven a car cannot appreciate new roads, but they can look to the Young leader of the country, who tells people to go to hell and follow that. Can you tell me what good examples any of our ministers are are setting for young people. I just don’t see it. In Dominica you cannot separate church and state or politics. It is just how it is. If the heads of state were honest and upright citizens they would not be called into these negative situations.
Show me one politician who is not deceiptful? That is the nature of politics. If a politician does not possess these traits, he/she will never lead any country.
That is not to say you have to be a thief. In most developing countries, politics is their ticket to riches. In most of these countries, the institutions do not exist to deal with these sort of malfeasance. The politicians know that.
In the more developed countries the well connected benefit but in more subtle ways. Bottom line, politics is not for saints or angels.
MR. FINN CAN’T YOU BE NON PARTISAN FOR ONCE? YOU ARE CONSISTENTLY MIXING MATTERS. YOU CLAIM THAT IN YOUR TIME AT D. G.S. “THESE LEADERS RAN OUR SCHOOL WITH AUTHORITY AND HAD ZERO TOLERANCE FOR DISRESPECT” HOWEVER MR. FINN YOU APPEAR NOT TO HAVE LEARNED FROM THEM BECAUSE YOUR BLATANT DISRESPECT FOR HON. SKERITT AND ST. JEAN IS TOO GLARING.
DESPITE THE ZERO TOLERANCE WITHOUT THE INFLUENCE OF TV MR. FINN ASSURES US THAT THERE WERE TROUBLE MAKERS WHO EVEN HAD TO BE EXPELLED IN HIS DAYS. THIS SHOWS CLEARLY THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT NEW AS HE CLAIMS.
MR. FINN PLEASE BE HONEST AND TELL THE PEOPLE THAT YOU AND YOUR ASSOCIATES AIR LIFTED MORE THAN FIFTY OVERSEAS VOTERS TO VOTE FOR RON GREEN IN THE 2009 ELECTIONS AT LA PLAINE.
THE ADMISSION BY MR. FINN, ONE OF THE KEY ADVISERS OF THE UWP AND RON GREEN, OF THE DIVISION WHICH EXISTS IN LA PLAINE IS EVIDENCE OF THE MALICIOUS CAMPAIGN OF DIVISION AND DIVISIVENESS THAT HE AND HIS ASSOCIATES CONTINUE TO INJECT IN LA PLAINE AND DOMINICA.
IT MUST BE NOTED THAT MR.FINN LEFT DOMINICA AND MIGRATED TO THE U.S,A. WHERE HE EARNED A DEGREE IN DENTISTRY BUT THE IMPOSTER WHO CLAIMS TO BE A PATRIOT HAS DIFFICULTY WITH ALL THOSE WHO COME TO OUR COUNTRY ( CHINESE, HAITIANS…….). MAYBE THE U.S. SHOULD REVISIT ITS IMMIGRATION LAWS AND REPATRIATE MR. FINN TO DOMINICA.
MR. FINN KEEPS CONTRADICTING HIMSELF. HIS IGNORANCE IS AS CLEAR AS CRYSTAL. IN HIS ABSOLUTE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF SIMPLE ISSUES REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY MATTERS HE MUST BE ADVISED THAT MR. HYACINTH CANNOT ON HIS OWN ACCORD DEAL WITH THE CURRENT ISSUE AT THE D.G.S. UNLESS GUIDED BY A POLICY DECISION AS ARTICULATED BY THE MINISTER WHO HAPPENS TO BE MR. ST.JEAN WHO MR. FINN APPARENTLY HATES WITH A PASSION.
MAY I SUGGEST THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF IMMIGRATION REFORM IN THE U.S. AS EARLIER SUGGESTED, MR. FINN SHOULD DO THE FOLLOWING WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY:
1. REVOKE HIS U.S. CITIZENSHIP
2. OPEN AN ACCOUNT AT ONE OF THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN DOMINICA(PREFERABLY LA PLAINE CREDIT UNION)
3. BUILD A DWELLING HOUSE IN LA PLAINE
4. ORGANIZE QUARTERLY DENTAL CLINICS FOR THE CHILDREN OF LA PLAINE
5. MOVE PERMANENTLY TO LA PLAINE WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.
6. DECLARE HIS CANDIDACY FOR THE LA PLAINE CONSTITUENCY ( SINCE RON GREEN HAS BEEN ON A CANDIDATE SEARCH).
MR. FINN SHOWS HIMSELF VOID OF BASIC UNDERSTANDING, DOMINICANS DON’T WANT TALKERS,WE ARE FED UP WITH COWARDS WHO HIDE BEHIND THE PAGES OF A NEWS PAPER AND THE INTERNET, WE WANT MEN OF ACTION AND VISION AND WE GET THAT IN ROOSEVELT SKERITT AND PETER ST.JEAN. THESE GENTLEMEN GIVE TO OUR CHILDREN WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS RESERVED ONLY FOR YOU. WHAT YOU FAIL TO REALIZE IS THAT A NEW DAY HAS DAWNED IN DOMINICA. A DAY WHERE NOT ONLY THE CHILDREN OF THOSE WHO HAD THE SHOPS AND BED FORD TRUCKS COULD GO TO ROSEAU SCHOOL. TODAY EVERY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE CAN EARN AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE AT THE PRESTIGIOUS DOMINICA STATE COLLEGE. THIS IS WHAT GIVES MR. FINN THE CHILLS- THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE AVERAGE DOMINICAN CAN REMAIN IN LITTLE DOMINICA AND BE CALLED DOCTOR JUST LIKE YOU AND WORSE STILL SKERITT AND ST.JEAN WITHOUT THE DOCTOR THING IN THEIR NAMES GOT WHERE YOU WILL ONLY DREAM OF.
Well said “I am Dominica.” I just do not understand what is this Emmanuel Finn’s problem. The situation at the DGS is lamentable, however, the political leaders are not to be blamed. This is a social problem which stems back to the home and the upbringing of a child. I am almost certain if we go back in time into the lives of those students who engage in violent behavior,we most likely will see where it all began. An abusive parent, child neglect, poor parenting etc.
I am a 29 year old young person from La Plaine and I do not even know this man who boast of his La Plaine roots. It goes to show that you Mr. Finn have not been at all involved in La Plaine, or the affairs of La Plaine. So why then is it that every time you voice your opinion you launch an attack on Mr. Peter St-Jean, a true man of the soil who has pledged his commitment and support to the people of the La Plaine Constituency as well as to all Dominicans. From where I stand I am of the opinion that you are obviously jealous of the position that Mr. Peter has attained, a position which I dare say, you may never attain in your lifetime. So my recommendation to you, rather than standing idly by and criticizing our leaders and beloved country, engage actively in the affairs of our beautiful land. Talk is just talk. Be proactive!
I tried to read this and to I agree with what you write in the 1st paragraph but pal YOU NEED A NEW KEYBOARD, YOUR CAPS LOCK IS STUCK! That is bad! use caps only for effect. You probably made some good points later on which I was eager to know but….Now I have no clue what you just wrote, I can’t read that. DNO please, too long in all caps – your call anyway.
What’s with the political substance consumed by the writer of this article–the Mr. Finn?
We are living in a time when the spiritual warfare is taking over the conscience of human beings young and old–all over the world–except that it is happening for the worst by those who choose to side with the worst.
The writer says that “our children are watching, listening, and they are reacting” So why can’t they choose to watch, listen, and react to the good?
Is he saying that our Dominica and her people are born with a culture of rage, violence, fleshly fear, and the other stupidity of the carnal mind–the driver wchich people—child, youth and adult—choose as they exist in this world?
After all, we are said to be a God fearing people! Mr. Finn even mentioned that our Education Minister is a “born again Chistian” Through him God’s Holy Spirit would have an impact on education and those involve–I am sure of that.
I am saying that good things in our country ought to “surpass” the bad things–even if there is no perfect group of people in any place in this world.
Frankly I do not see the point of this article at all. For when we use bad situations to blame those whom we do not support, we are simply being selfish, using situations to satisfy our fleshly ego.
As we satisfy our fleshly ego, we also send a message, to the evil doers, a message which influences their bad habits, knowing that some people are supporting them and will find excuses to defend the bad things which they do. What good is that for our country and her people?
There is a time when every person who is born into this world, begins to know their ability of “free will” “Free will” is the manner by which we choose to do good or to do bad.
A student at Dominica Grammar School is already in that choosing or discernment stage by the time he starts attending that school.
God wants us to Love–which is the goodness of Life. He teaches us His ways of Love. Satan is the liar and the murderer, the thief who comes to steal, kill, and then to destroy our lives.
Spiritual wisdom and understanding is the key that opens the door of Love and its traits in our lives. We are given a conscience that can cause us to choose Love and its traits. It all depends on our choice of “free will”
Stupidity and our carnal mind is what leads us to the door of evil and wickedness. Because we foolishly rebel against God’s perfect will for our lives.
Let it be known that Mr. Roosevelt Skerrit and his men/women of government will not be accountable for any-one’s attitude and conducts, but his own/their own, at the Judgment seat of God Almighty–no matter how much control he may have now, through civil law.
And each person will know the experience of what Jesus calls the “gnashing” of teeth, or the “ecstasy” of Joy and Peace–whichever the final reward–God final judgment– is for that person/persons.
So to all of you in Dominica or of Dominica who chooses to play the blaming game–not wanting to be accountable for your behaviour and the desire to change your ways, don’t say that you were not warned.
when he said, “he was a born again christian” he was being SARCASTIC!!! doh…wake up people and call it as it is.get your heads out of the sand.
You couldn’t have said it better. Some of us believe we can live how we want, do what we want, and blame the politicians, the churches, the schools etc. But what are we doing to change our lives for the better? Be accountable! Why is it that we know how to groom ourselves, look good, smell sweet etc? Well in the same manner, we should know how to groom our attitudes and conduct!
DR FINN
YOU WOULD HELP MORE IF YOU LEFT THE ATTACK ON CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS OUT OF IT. YOU ARE DEFEATING THE PURPOSE OF THE EXERCISE. WHEN YOU GIVE JUSTIFICATION TO SUCH ACTIONS OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU ARE NOT HELPING. IF YOU MEAN WELL TACKLE THE PROBLEM AND GIVE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS. YOUR PETTY PARTY POLITICS IS NOT HELPING. GROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!! DR FINN AND STOP SULKING
This article expresses the view of many a typical Dominican … blame the government for all that is wrong.
Granted, the government must share some of the blame, however, to base it on imitation is ridiculous. If such was the case, then it would work both ways – imitate the good and the bad, not just the bad.
There is only so much that the government can to. I’m sick and tired of the Dominican mentality that the government should do everything. What about other community groups and organizations? Every solution can’t come from the government. W
We should not expect everything – we should work towards a better end ourselves.
Enough with the politics. The political party is not all bad.
Together we stand, divided we fall
Dominica is sweet, Dominicans are happy, Dominicans are freer than many another nation. Let’s enjoy the good that we have and work TOGETHER to fix the bad. Let’s just not wait on the government or blame the government!
Why must we make everything so political. If we put workers in power the violence is not just going to stop. The issue is deeper than politics its a social issue. Not only felt in Dominica but regionally and internationally. We must come together to find a solution instead of just pointing fingers. Esp at the government. We should try to come up with a solution on our own and get the government to implement it.
it needs to be political…..corporal punishment should be banned…parents should be jailed for beating any kid above the age of 7….there’s a fine line between spanking and beatings….spanking always end in beating which is child abuse……beating a child reduces their IQ….it lowers their self esteem ….beating only has negative outcomes….
You need to be jailed,since you are not only a nuisance, but a threat to society.
Tiny must’ve really been beaten as a child.
Are you a man or a mouse? If you need to be so political then stand and be counted. Your political mind is so warped that you cannot participate in a normal, educated conversation without injecting politics into it. What a breath of fresh air it would have been if you had resisted temptation and in so doing refrained from introducing politics into this conversation. Instead of using the headline “DGS, school violence and Dominica” you should have used a more suitable one that would have warned unsuspecting readers that this was going to be a political topic. I am quite disappointed. On the other hand however I can see that you probably were forced to mask the headline so as to ensure high numbers of readers, because I can assure you that like me, many others would not have even opened it if we had been given prior warning that this was so political.
The moment we stop fighting for each other, that’s when we begin to loose our HUMANITY!!
Let us get real folks… Mr. Skerrit cannot be the cause of all the country’s maladies. Apart from the “bad”, he and his Labour Party have done quite a bit of good around Dominica. So in all fairness, if the youth are following in our leaders’ footsteps, then they need to pick up the slack on the side of what’s “good”.
I think our youth look to their parents and other adults that are near to them before they look to the country’s leaders. So the example set by a mother or a father is what will most influence that young person’s perspective on a prevailing matter. If Dad beats Mom at home, then more than likely Bobby will be led to believe that violence is condoned. If Mom sleeps with Roy (the landlord) and pays no rent, then it is likely that Sue will see sex as a means of getting things for free.
The excuse that television programming has created these “monsters” we call our youth is an urban legend. I believe that at most, the TV only reinforces what young people see at home. Why? Because most high school students know that what they see on TV was either created on a Hollywood studio set or staged and subsequently filmed by a paid camera crew (although with so many reality TV shows on the air it’s getting more difficult to know what’s actually “real”). However, when so many negative images portrayed on TV are played out in real life dramas in our homes today, young people are left with no choice but to follow suit.
Having said all this let me be clear: I am not saying that the youth do not look up to leaders like Mr. Skerrit. And I am not saying that their deeds aren’t influencers of the youth’s actions. What I am saying is that we all take cues from sources that are closest to us. If we clean up our homes and take responsibility for our tongues and our actions, then our kids will have a better chance in life.
The issues of school planning, diverse curriculum, student profiling and trained teachers (to name a few) are also very important in the fight for securing better futures for our young people.
The article started well until it segued into politics and then I lost interest.
I too, am a DGS alumnus and it pains me to see that level of violence that is happening today. Mind you, I attended the school 40 years ago and even at that time it was no monastery. This was back in the days when the Black Power and Rastafarian movements were making their presence felt. The difference is we had a cause, not this mindless violence we see happening today.
Mr. Finn and other like-minded people, let’s put our heads together to make the school and others like it model places for learning. Let’s leave the politics out. We need all hands on deck for the task.
I too lost interest when the the politics came into play
To be truthfull, I started reading the article but when I noticed the politics started creaping, I discontinued reading it, I became disinterested
On another not, I noticed the violences are prevalent at those high schools where boys and girls attends, say the DGS and the Good will Secondary School, that’s my oppinion
In addition to what you have mentioned, I think the problem also lies with the administrators are not thinking of the children when the curriculum is designed. The one size fits all mentality is ancient and has to change. Each child is different and learns differently
Long u wanted to take a shot a the PM so u using this problem at the DGS to get to him,everything that happen in the country is the PM that causing that?Don’t decipline all u malcasse children and blame de PM,when they start to bite all u ears it will be too late.
Parry Bellot was right about you Cevil servant first you should learn to spell “civil servant” Jack.
lol
well done!
I thought this article was about Dominica Grammar School and violence and how it affects Dominica on a whole?it started off real good until the “politics” talk start!!!!!geeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. was expecting an uplifting article!!!!but how depressing
When i started to read this article it brought tears to my eyes untill the attack on polititians ,
All you too hypocrite. The attack on the politicians were basically describing the kind of example that these politicians are setting and the message that they are sending to our young adults so don’t be surprise when our young adults behave the way they do. It was right in line with the article. I just can’t understand why you guys do that. You know quite well what the author is talking about. SMH!!!
I stopped reading when it got political. I can’t stand how we allow politics to divide us and make us turn a blind eye to the good done by those opposing our party and the ills done by our own party. It’s truly sad. Those politicians does fight and be at each other throats in the house. But otherwise they’re the best of friends. Alot of people could learn just by using their own minds to think…
That was a great article Dr Finn, well put, you are correct in all the points you put accross, the young emulate the leaders in every case, when forresters go to cut down trees, they always cut down the straight one’s first leaving only the bent and crooked ones, likewise it is in Dominica the straight ones are being hounded out and the bent ones remain, this is what the young see this is what they read, and what they hear,
if you are devious, untruthful, and false you get ahead, don’t need education just make the right noises, mix in the right circles and you are set for life, that is the clear message none other, respect and dignity appears to be a thing of the past as does learning, for if the children did learn and understand the basics of what is right and waht is wrong this experience would not have occured in the first place
state something without a political invention…..you cant come comparing my father and my son….it is obvious that my son will be smarter…..get a crip n blame the people directly involved…..the parent need to be more active….and the teachers should be more harsh…thats my recomendaTION!!
POINT WELL TAKEN PPLE WAKE UP EACH ONE REACH ONE