Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, Melena Fontaine believes that parents have a responsibility to ensure that their children’s basic survival and development needs are met.
She made that statement while addressing the launching ceremony of the 50 More Youth Summit 2019 held at the Goodwill Parish Hall on Monday.
She said parents are the first socializing agent for their children and the school actually comes after.
“To break it down simply, parents must ensure that their children are fed, sheltered, clothed and allowed the opportunities to meet their development milestone,” Fontaine stated. “Parents also have the responsibility to ensure that their children attend school regularly, not drop out from school or attend school when they want.”
She questioned whether parents show sufficient interest in their children’s school activities.
“Do parents check in with their children teachers? Is there a way they can do that?” She asked. “At the end of the day do they discuss what went on at school for the day? Do they ask to see their children workbook?”
Fontaine also spoke to the student’s responsibility in building self.
“Ask yourself two questions, who am I and where am I going?” she said.
She told the students that life is about choices, “and irrespective of what challenges life throws at you, it always ends up with a choice.”
The Chief Education Officer encouraged students to be advocates and leaders within their school and identified some youth-related issues highlighted in the news and on social media that need to be addressed.
“You hear of violence, of drugs, of different types of abuse, of bullying, even abduction,” Fontaine pointed out. “Should we be concerned? Yes. Should we remain silent and inactive? No.”
She added, “How can you, potential youth ambassadors help to address these issues plaguing young people as yourself? How can you advocate for change, so that we hear less of those negative issues and more of the positive ones.”
Pointing out that her intention was not to provide answers but to give cause for reflection, Fontaine raised the question of accountability.
“For example, are parents doing enough to keep their children safe? Are we within the school system doing enough to keep our students safe? What can be done differently, how can we empower our student to take responsibility for their action?”
One can only arrive at solutions after the issues at hand are examined, Fontaine declared.
Do we have the services related to this issue at hand as our struggling homes, unemployed parents, family members, youth not engaged in work experience and exposure, are all factors to investigate really and truthfully what & why is going on. The effort by Melena Fontaine is commendable and where I sit I know that the resoureces are so limited that the flying in and out of Domininca by this failed Skerrit so called Pm, is a laugh and a nuisance to this struggling country. Our services need really to open understanding focus to function efficiently, effectively in order to have the related results that we demand and cry for. Financial rsources from the government is wasted in the wrong areas and as a result we are caught up in a social dilemena where families and villages struggle to survive for good quality life. We blame Skerrit and his Labour clowns within the government itself. We have these professionals who cry out profoundle that “We love our fail PM” while our children…
Let us also ask out government to be responsible. Stop giving money to people who do not want to work. 2 Thessalonians 3, 10-12. Genesis 3,19.
Adults on a whole should set a moral tone worthy of emulating by the youths. Adults cannot feed pepper to puppies and expect docile dogs. When we look in the mirror, do we have the capacity to honestly evaluate our behavior? If we do, are we capable of admitting fault and placing it where it really should be? I have had parents who came to the school and wanted to fight with me because their child failed to come to school and as a result failed the class. Even when I offered to give extra help to some children, some parents would join the child in making excuses for not coming for help, even when the school was just yards away from their house. I would see children who need extra help playing in the ball field near by, just after the parents and child said that the child was sick and could not come for extra help. Even when the school took into consideration that a hungry child would have difficulty concentrating and provided snacks, some who needed help still did not come.
I have to agree with you. That is very typical of the people here. Many excuses and no production.
all my years i have worked at fortyoung hotal all i have seen is these people coming in year after year and just chat and eat /drink my problem with these call educated people is so back to front at my age i know the elderly to teach the young one they come out there keep telling the young children to teach them self i can see clear that these people living backwards i need to tell them all this must start from the top these days a not like before the young ones knows all whats going on so please tell your government they are the parents of all the people of Dominican and if they cant do the job of parenting they need to get out all the young children want to hear about these days is how to make fast money and have big ride and maybe a big house without knowing how to work hard just like the the PM and his boys and girls under him called mininsters
Headline should say……Chief Education Officer “intention was not to provide answers but to give cause for reflection,” regarding the nation’s educational system.
“The Chief Education Officer encouraged students to be advocates and leaders within their school and identified some youth-related issues highlighted in the news and on social media that need to be addressed.”
To this end, students of the St. Maarten Academy released an excellent music video focusing on the issue of cyber bullying.
To their credit, North East Comprehensive School students recently released a powerful video about the neglect of their playing field. Unfortunately it was not given wide coverage, perhaps because its message was deemed politically sensitive.
At the time of the last election, State College Students were forbidden to debate political issues on campus.
Melena, garbage is nothing more than decaying garbage; no matter if the rubbish is spoken by one with a decorative title, or a peasant working on a farm; or scavengers on a daily hunt for their survival!
You are gainfully employed; the blood of the poor in the country pays your salary: whereas the people you suggest lack responsibility for the welfare of their children, struggles to survive from day to day.
While you indulge in the garbage you spew, you fail to insists that because there are no job opportunities in the country, life is a struggle for the same unfortunate people you are criticizing, and degrading!
The Sale of Dominica passports to criminals is not an industry; the benefactors of the proceeds are Roosevelt and his hand picked sales men and women; and the few puppets like you who sings praises to Roosevelt.
It is down right stupid for you to believe that in the 21st century, parents who give birth to children don’t know their responsibility!
The CEO seems not to know much about Social Science , you see , Media and information , Dominica have no control over . The Island have been the most Indoctrinated of all of the Sister States . When US cable TV took hold of Dominica in the late 80′ early 90′ , Trinidad was cable free. We all know the influence cable tv has had , and continue to have on undeveloped peoples . Today , Dominica is engulfed in all the negatives that’s seen and acted on . Do some Parent and Teachers share some blame ? sure they should , but the biggest Culprit must be the Gov’t , no policies was enacted to safeguard against the good and not so good of the US media that Dominican’ love so much. Monkey’s dho do what they see non !
All DNO giving us is water-down news as if there are not some really serious issues to sensitize the people with. I wonder if Skerrit did not buy DNO or, is it that like everything else on island, they just chose to walk with their eyes close? Not even our comments they moderating, imagine that. I thank God for Q95, the ONLY independent media house left in Dominica. Doesn’t the times here remind us of the EVIL and WICKED days of Ahab and Jezebel? Look at this scripture for example: “Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men 1 Kings 18:22
These days the parents we have need parenting themselves. Many are not good examples. when i see little girls no older than 7 dancing on all 4’s or gyrating with their hands on their knees while their mother looks on with love and admiration i ask myself what in the world is going on? Who are these people and why are they even allowed to have children. Children speaking to grown adults like they are beneath them. Young teenagers dropping out to hang out on blocks then resorting to crime or prostitution (which is a crime) because they aren’t employable. In years to come our productive workforce will be dumbed-down to the point where we will need a re-education of the masses. Im not even getting into etiquette yet just sticking to going to school and learning, because that is a whole other story which starts with the parents again.
You said it well sir. I think a lot of people on here allow politics to cloud their judgement and missed what the lady said. We need to let our children be leaders as early as possible. All this is setting standards in our children, standards that will be valuable in the future.