PM calls for national dialogue on youth social issues

Prime Minister Mia Mottley has urged Barbadians to engage in a nationwide conversation on tackling social dysfunction, with a particular focus on challenges facing the island’s youth.

Addressing journalists at Ilaro Court on Thursday, Mottley disclosed that the Advisory Council on Citizenship Security, established in response to concerns from the private sector and the chief education officer, has raised alarms over the premature exclusion of children from the school system.

She said: “The country will have to have a national discussion about the extension of the school age from 16 to 18 or 17, depending on what the country is comfortable with. I know what my own views are, but similarly, we will also ensure that rather than children being put out of school with nowhere to go, that we develop a programme that allows them to be taken out of that individual school system if they are giving trouble.”

The prime minister indicated that the government is developing an alternative pathway for students who struggle within traditional schools. Rather than expulsion and exposure to greater risk, these young people could be transitioned into structured programmes involving the Barbados Defence Force and the Barbados Youth Advance Corps.

“If you don’t deal with the problem at this stage, you’re going to deal with it at another stage,” Mottley declared.

She also emphasised the vital role of families and communities in instilling discipline and values, cautioning that the state cannot shoulder the entire burden of correcting troubling behaviours among young people. She called on parents and guardians to take greater responsibility for their children’s upbringing.

The PM said: “During the last few weeks, I had calls to say that the government cannot go into people’s houses and say, send your child to Sunday School. But I have said it now sufficient times, including within the context of the leadership of my own political institution, that this must be a project undertaken by us as a political institution. We have not come only to represent people in circumstances where it is just simply about talk. We have to ensure that in our own house, in our own families, that children are getting the groundings and the rooting.”

Addressing the growing mental health crisis, the prime minister noted that Barbados continues to grapple with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also expressed concern over rising substance abuse among youth, pointing to the use of substances such as ‘Molly’, ‘purple drag’ and even cough syrup to get high, often in the absence of effective parental oversight.

“How many parents out there know what ‘Molly’ looks like? How many parents out there know what ‘purple drag’ looks like? How many parents know that people are using cough syrup as a way to be able to get high and to do foolishness?” Mottley asked.

“I need to see the National Council of Substance Abuse out there in communities, not just on social media, but actually in supermarkets, in communities so that people can be shown and understand this is what to look for, because if the fight is going to be across the board then it means that we have to equip people with the knowledge.”

The prime minister reaffirmed that legislative reforms are advancing rapidly following public consultations, citing the introduction of plea bargaining and judge-only trials as evidence of progress. She also pointed to ongoing support for The Barbados Police Service, including upgrades in equipment, technology, and pay equity for detectives.

Looking ahead, Mottley appealed directly to the political opposition, urging them to join the national effort to address crime and social challenges.

She said: “You were given a chance to come on a citizen advisory council. Fine, you don’t want to do that . . . but I’m asking the opposition to meet with a team of Cabinet next week as well, because they cannot simply be on the sidelines of this effort to fight crime.

“I don’t know how we can have a whole-of-nation approach without everybody buying into this. This is too critical for the country. I am not standing on ceremony . . . . I remain focused on what is the national issue at hand.” (SB)