‘Watch out for children this summer’

Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw is appealing to parents and guardians to be aware of their children’s whereabouts this summer vacation, especially since a number of school plants will be unavailable for camps.

Bradshaw told Barbados TODAY that while it was her wish for children to thoroughly enjoy their nine-week vacation, she wanted them to do so safely.

“I would ask parents to be vigilant with their children. I think as a Government we have responded, and certainly as a ministry we have responded to the cries of parents, teachers and students in the institutions, in relation to the deteriorating state of the premises.

“We have sought with the assistance of the Prime Minister to be able to put additional funds to get the school plants to where the premises are safe and environmentally friendly. This summer therefore, you would see a lot of major works being done to a number of the school plants,” Bradshaw said.

The Education Minister explained that due to the extensive repairs being executed at some schools, there would be a disruption to the traditional venues where children engage in camp activities.

She said though accommodation has been made for some camps to  be held, the ministry believed that getting schools ready and fully functioning for September was a priority.

“We are asking them to appreciate that a sacrifice has to be made at some point if we are going to be able to focus on giving children, and certainly those who work within education, the opportunity to have a proper environment to operate in and to be able to learn.

“That therefore means that parents will have to ensure that they take responsibility for their charges over the summer vacation and ensure that they are involved in wholesome activities where there is supervision.

“I think parents need to spend more time with their children and work with them during the summer vacation. I appreciate there are parents who will be working, but I would ask that the community too pays attention to what is happening to children who may be unsupervised,” Bradshaw said.