THE EDITOR, Sir:
The N.Y.S should be commended for the study commissioned by them and published in The Sunday Gleaner. I am surprised that so many are surprised at the results. I have reason to visit some inner-city schools in Kingston and Spanish Town over the past four years. In every class, there are large numbers of students exhibiting signs of stress, depression, abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (A.D.H.D) low self esteem and just plain hunger. Closer observation of academic activity reveals a severe discrepancy between their estimated intellectual potential and actual level of performance. The few teachers who are able to identify these disorders usually bring this to the attention of parents - when they can be found. Many parents are offended and insist that nothing is wrong with the child, then pay a discrete visit to their pastor or obeahman for guidance. The 'help' they get from these sources sometimes exacerbates the problem. Whatever the source of assistance, there are enormous social, emotional and financial costs associated with mental health issues.
The abuse, mentioned earlier, often starts before birth. Maternal consumption of alcohol, various forms of drugs and cigarette smoking can have serious consequences as the unborn child is extremely vulnerable to its mother's ingestion of these toxins. Prematurity and prolonged labour, high fevers and head injuries in infancy as well as exposure to lead and some food additives should be of concern to us as there is an impressive body of empirical evidence showing a correlation between these habits and later learning disability in the child.
CONSEQUENCES
Added to this, absent or ineffective fathers, cruel and indifferent mothers who do not understand the consequences of their actions, exposure to daily doses of mental abuse and physical violence combine to ensure poor academic performance and availability for criminal and violent activities.
Our children are in trouble. Many live lives of extreme emotional upheaval and the mere passage of laws will not change this. Parents do not know or understand the developmental stages of childhood. Early developmental delays are not being diagnosed. Learning disability affects the brain's ability to learn. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder interferes with the child's availability for learning. While we wait for someone with the intestinal fortitude to legislate responsible behaviour, we need to translate the most current empirical findings into language that can be understood by those responsible for our children.
I am., etc,
GLENN TUCKER
Stony Hill
Kingston 9
