“The moral, ethical and spiritual fibre of The Bahamas is beginning to unravel on a daily basis,” the president of The Bahamas Christian Council said, after an attack on a vice-principal and an alleged rape attempt at another school.
The assault at St. Georges High School in Grand Bahama and an alleged attempted rape at C.I. Gibson Senior High School led Bishop Samuel Greene to say Wednesday:
“Our crime rate is forever climbing, violence seems to be the order of the day and now we have violent situations in the schools. It is now crucial that politicians, the church, the home and all citizens of this country become aware of the fact that when discipline goes, the country goes.”
The BCC president said under no circumstances should anyone in The Bahamas have to tolerate such situations and that he is calling on the Ministry of Education to take immediate measures to ensure teachers, administrators and students are protected from those who invade school campuses.
“There is a method that is used. Nobody should be wandering around the campus of a school if they are not students of that campus.”
Bishop Greene, a former school principal, said the attack at St. Georges sets a bad example to children.
“It is incumbent upon every single parent in this country to make certain that the proper example is set for young Bahamians to follow. We cannot abandon the old ways where we are polite to one another and lend a helping hand to one another, rather than trying to abuse one another physically, verbally and otherwise.”
Bishop Greene said all must come together to build the country under God. He said the church has and will continue to take the lead and he expects parents to ensure their children attend church, Sunday School and become a part of youth organizations, where they can learn to be disciplined and cooperate with others.
A press release issued Wednesday said the Ministry of Education will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure teachers and students are able to work and learn in a secure and wholesome environment.
It said self-discipline is a problem for many students and that in recent years, there have been increased attacks on teachers and violence among students.
“The Ministry of Education seeks to nurture and develop environments of respect. Violence prevention and safety in schools is the primary goal. Any intruder who enters the premises of a school and commits an act of violence or criminal offence will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
By Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian
