Schools Not to be Blamed, says Minister Bunting

Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting,  says findings of the ‘Education and Crime: Evidence from Prison inmates in Jamaica’ study, is not necessarily blaming the schools, as there are other factors that contribute to someone ending up in the correctional system.

The study, which was conducted in 2012 by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), looked at persons in the correctional system and made a link with the academic institutions they last attended.

Findings of the study were presented in the House of Representatives by Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, on January 21.

Speaking at the 21^st staging of the Ministry of National Security’s Annual Devotion, held on January 22 at the Emmanuel Apostolic Church, in Kingston, Minister Bunting said that crime is an outcome of failures in varying sectors of the society – the family, the community, the school, the church and many of the Ministries, Departments and agencies of Government.

“The ‘Unite for Change’ programme, which we have launched at the Ministry of National Security, intends to address many of these shortcomings or failures,” the Minister said.

Responding to Rev. Thwaites’ announcement about the implementation of a series of interventions, to be carried out at the school level, Mr. Bunting said he supports that move.

“I am asking principals and other persons in the school system not to react in a defensive manner towards the findings of the study…because the school is an important channel for positive behavioural intervention support to take place,” the Minister argued.