THE INCREASING numbers of young women being sent to the Government Industrial School is a concern to the authorities.
“The number of females coming into custody is an issue we really have to start looking very, very seriously at,” school principal Erwin Leacock told the media after the unveiling of a plaque in commemoration of the school’s 130th anniversary.
Leacock said Barbadians did not understand the nuances behind young people needing rehabilitation, issues such as abuse in the home or not even having a home to go to at all.
“We are talking about skills for independent adult living,” he said.
“One of the emphases is trying to ensure there is definitely a personal philosophy of not depending on anybody to get through life.
“The work we do here is very serious; a lot of these children do not have the luxury of supportive families, so when they leave here they have to be able to fend for themselves.”
