Gareth Manning, Gleaner Writer

Children march alongside adults in support of Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidates Lorna Leslie and Desmond Mckenzie in West Kingston, yesterday, during nomination day activities in the constituency. Mr. McKenzie and Ms. Leslie will represent the JLP in upcoming local government elections on December 5. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

On what should have been a normal school day yesterday, a number of children joined adults on political marches to nomination centres in support of their candidates for the December 5 local government elections.

In West Kingston late yesterday morning, a number of children were visible on the streets marching with adults in support of their two Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidates - Lorna Leslie and Desmond McKenzie.

Responding to Gleaner reports of the children's involvement in the march yesterday, director of communications in the Ministry of Education, Charlene Ashley, said while all are expected to be in school there may be exceptions in cases where some schools are used as election centres, but that only happens on election day and not on nomination day.

School a must

"Mandatory attendance is something we are trying to put into the Education Act, but their education is paramount and is important, and so, once you are of school-going age they are expected to be in school," she told The Gleaner.

Under the act, parents only have a responsibility to ensure their children attend school regularly.

If found guilty of failing to ensure that their children attend school regularly, parents are merely fined $1 in the case of a first offence and $4 if a second offence is committed. All offences subsequent to that attracts a fine of $10 and prison term not exceeding 14 days or both fine and imprisonment.

Children's advocate, Mary Clarke adds that while there are no laws that prevent children from participating in political marches and demonstrations, schools in particular, must make it a point of duty to follow up on children who are absent from school. She noted that with the nature of politics in Jamaica children could sometimes be exposed to serious harm.

She is advocating for legislation that will bar children from attending and participating in political rallies and marches.