THE LAMENT OVER multiple examples of poor attitudes pervading the society is now at a stage requiring urgent attention. Indiscipline. Indifference. Disrespect. Bad manners. Drug abuse. Gun-related crimes. All these are matters that give pause to those concerned about the direction being taken by far too many men in particular, most of them under 30 years of age.
Not only are too many of them preferring unproductive lives on the block and are not gainfully employed, but they continue to be outnumbered by females seeking to further their education and personal enhancement.
The juncture in our history that provides for us the chance to recommit to the highest values that our forefathers brought to the Barbados model, indeed more than ever, is our 50th anniversary of Independence.
Our political leaders have called on us as a people to fashion what sort of society we want to establish for the next 50 years.
Enhancing the character of youth is the best example of what we should do to secure our future.
And one aspect of that effort means raising the level of awareness and commitment to country, and providing an opportunity for school-leavers and others on the unemployment rolls to be engaged in full-time training to prepare them for the task of self-improvement.
At the turn of the century, the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport announced it was introducing a comprehensive, multifaceted Youth Service to Barbados as an initiative necessary to address some of the problems facing Barbados and its young people. We would not want to dismiss it, but to our way of thinking, it remains a token effort.
The Commission on Law and Order, in its 2004 report, recommended a three-tier system. These were, firstly, secondary school-based citizenship education and community service. Secondly, community service at secondary schools through existing clubs and school organisations like the scouts, guides and cadets. And thirdly, a residential youth service for school-leavers.
This last aspect, the largest and most costly, would also be most beneficial because it would be compulsory for school-leavers not pursuing tertiary education. It would have a rigorous training component to arrest those awful habits that are picked up and multiplied through bad company and wrong friendships.
At the end, the report suggested that those completing the service would be recognised with the award of a certificate which was seen as providing significant advantages for employment and possibly even promotion, as employers would be assured of trained and disciplined new entrants to their workforce.
“It is very important for contemporary Barbadian society to build and strengthen platforms for the successful growth and development of our young citizens. They must be encouraged to believe that the future of this country is entrusted to them both for careful preservation and for successful transformation,” the commission argued.
An interesting adjunct to that report was the idea of creating a special national award exclusively for young people to incentivise them towards more wholesome achievements. The suggestion was that they be called The Trident Awards.
We think that the great need of our society and the valuable suggestion from the commission about a national youth service coincide at a propitious time in our history.
We ignore the opportunity at our peril.