Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Robert Guiste, has announced that a team of counsellors has been deployed to the North East Comprehensive School to assist in coping with the loss of fifth form student Sylvia Peters who passed away suddenly earlier this week.
According to a statement, Peters, who was 16-years-old at the time, tragically collapsed at her school this week and did not recover.
“The Ministry of Education is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Sylvia Peters, a 16-year-old fifth-form student at the North East Comprehensive School,” Guiste said. “Sylvia tragically collapsed at breaktime on February 18, and despite all efforts did not recover.”
He continued, “This heartbreaking loss has profoundly affected the North East Comprehensive School community as well as Sylvia’s family and friends.”
Guiste noted that her untimely passing is a great loss to her family, friends, and the entire school community.
“A team of trained counsellors [has] been deployed to the school to assist the community in coping with the loss,” he stated.
He said the ministry remains committed to providing ongoing support as needed during this difficult time.
Furthermore, Guiste stated that the ministry stands ready to provide the necessary support to help the school and family navigate this tragedy
On behalf of the Minister of Education Octavia Alfred and staff, Guiste expressed heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and the entire North East Comprehensive School community during this incredibly difficult time.
Very sad indeed. My condolences to her family, friends, teachers and staff of the NECS.
This information just confirms that Dominica is a very scary place these days, especially government institutions.
– our children are sick and we take them to the hospital and they end up in the funeral home
– we send them to school to learn and they end up in the funeral home
-when they do wrong they are taken to the cell by the police and Lo and behold they end up in the funeral home
I don’t understand what’s happening in Dominica these days especially since Mr Skerrit signed the Diab en sack MOU with China. PM what the hell you signed on our behalf but you hiding from us?
What a tragedy. An unfathomable loss to her parents, siblings and loved ones in the first instance. May the living God grant comfort peace and strength to her family school and community as they grieve.
Family and friends support is what’s required at this difficult time. Counselors are a waste of time. What happened to the days when we dealt with such situations ourselves? Have we become so weak that we can no longer handle life’s challenges? The societies that employ such measures are simply weak and as a result, cause their citizenry to grow up as weaklings.Don’t let anyone convince you that this is the right course of action.
This reminds me of 2 doctors in our medical staff at the company I was employed at. The Vietnamese doctor was an MD and the other was a psychologist. The Vietnamese doctor looked at the other guy one day and said, “in my country you starve because you will never get a customer”. It now appears that we’re adopting the approach of other countries who are plagued with all sorts of problems.
Let’s show some grit by approaching every challenge with the faith that we are never given more than we can handle.
I support personal responsibility but that is so harsh and dogmatic a position which is relatively harmless if you keep it to yourself but the moment you attempt to enforce it on others becomes cruel and disingenuous in practice.
The vietnamese MD is too arrogant and dismissive in the example. Rather than effectively saying “I am a better category of doctor than you”, he could recognize that there are bad medical doctors and good ones…and there are bad psychologists/therapists and good ones.
There are times when therapy is useful and creates stronger individuals and times when its not needed or perpetuates terrible mindsets that harms the individual or society. There are charlatans or even intelligent and capable people who are so smugly convinced of their value and moral worth that they are blind to their failings. Dismissive arrogance is the problem on any side.
Creating a monolithic standard of strong people don’t need therapy is neither good nor true.
The Vietnamese MD was not being arrogant but was simply saying that in his country, phycologist/therapist/counselors are viewed as “quacks” unscientific in nature hence he would not be able to make a living in his profession.
I also support his position and maintain that these so called experts are not providing much help to folks who should really be leaning on family and friends for their support. These close relationships make all the difference in the world because they’re viewed as personal and genuine, real concern about the well-being of the affected individual. Bear in mind that the family and friends is what remains in ones life long after those “experts” have moved so it’s important to lean on the right shoulders from the get go. No counselor can match that.
“was simply saying that in his country, phycologist/therapist/counselors are viewed as “quacks” unscientific in nature”
what you are saying is he had company in his arrogance, he is claiming his country shared that view/prejudice. People don’t like to be alone in their views even the bad ones, entire nations can go very wrong and very crazy…that’s what World War 2 was about…
I believe in families especially good ones, but there are bad families or families with a lot of issues that might be suppressed, the majority of rape, assault, molestation occurs within the family by a family member, most murders are done by people who know each other (family or friends). We need forces outside of these corrupt tendencies within families and friend groups, like police, good doctors (of all kinds) including therapists . Genuine diversity of options gives people a better chance of getting the care they need.
“Don’t be weak and depend on your family/friends” is not just limiting its bad and contradictory advice.
I took send condolences to her family and friends.Very sad indeed.