Society is in Need of Strong Parents – Rhodd

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, Donald Rhodd has lamented the breakdown in the family structure, noting that the society was in need of parents who were not afraid to instill discipline while at the same time being a friend, a brother, or a sister to their children.

Dr. Rhodd, who was speaking at a Parenting Workshop at the St. Elizabeth Technical High School recently, noted that the country could no longer be content with the standard and style of parenting in Jamaica today. “We need parents who are true to duty; parents who will stand for what is proper over what is popular; parents who will not be bought or sold by drug dealers, criminals or dons; parents who are committed to children first and their jobs second”, he stated.

He noted that the higher the values and attitudes of Jamaican parents, the better the life skills that would be imparted to children.

The State Minister also emphasized the importance of maintaining good parent/child relationships, noting that too often communication tended to be punitive, aiming to embarrass the child. Physical violence against children, he said, is seen as an alternative to productive communication.

Citing statistics, he said that four out of ten crimes were attributed to domestic violence with family members resorting to aggression to settle problems.

Dr. Rhodd urged parents to set high standards for themselves and their children and live by them, as children were the first to uncover the double standards set by adults. For example, he said, parents should not ask a child to lie on his/her behalf, while at the same time reprimanding the child for lying in other instances.

“I encourage you to manifest the standards becoming of a respectful Jamaican citizen in dealing with wayward youth. Always bear in mind that they have received their perversity as an inheritance from the father or mother”, he noted.

Pointing out that time and attention were two of the most important things that a parent could give to a child, Dr. Rhodd urged the parents to accept responsibility and give generously to each child.

He congratulated the school for putting on the workshop, noting that, “this was a forward step in contributing to the development of a better society.” He noted that the Ministry was undertaking a thorough review of the education system, to provide for more structured partnerships and to give parents more specific responsibilities in the training and education of their children.

“We are committed to the process of education and training; resolute and determined that investments in youth development will augur well for sustainable development in Jamaica”, Dr. Rhodd said.