Mrs. Holness Says Schools Should Require Voluntary Service

Wife of the Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness, says voluntarism should become mandatory at the primary and secondary levels of the school system.

She said that every child should be required to participate in a voluntary activity, which would be added to their report card each year.

Mrs. Holness noted that volunteerism builds character, and helps students to become more responsible and have a sense of belonging to a community.

“The act of volunteering attaches and fosters a deeper sense of caring for each other, and if you can teach children to start caring for each other, it will become something that will be grounded in their roots, and it will be so much easier to care for each other as adults,” she contended.

“This is going to be tantamount to us solving some of our problems later on,” she added.

Mrs. Holness was addressing the American Women’s Group luncheon held at Devon House on Thursday (September 21).

She said it is also important for children to be part of a mentorship programme, noting that a mentor can be a good role model while providing them with a positive outlook on life.

She is encouraging more women to play a role in this regard.

“Most of the time, we hear cries for more women to enter the political arena or more women to enter the boardroom and sit at the table. Women need to be aware of the needs we can fulfil, especially to our children. Not everyone will join a group or committee, but we must all seize every opportunity to be a part of the development of the country or the community,” Mrs. Holness noted.

The American Women’s Group of Jamaica (AWG) was established in 1985 by a small group of female expatriates with ties to the Embassy of the United States of America.

The group began as a social organisation and expanded to include charitable works to benefit primarily the women and children of Kingston.