Bring back ‘the village’ to help our children- Hon de Castro
Hon de Castro was a guest on Talking Points on Monday, February 24, 2025, on ZBVI 780 AM, when the conversation centred around the current behaviours of students at schools, some of which have become extremely worrisome.
“We’ve been trying to figure out how we can really bring back the village. Bringing back the village is so integral and I don’t want people to miss that reality,” Hon de Castro stated.
Become a mentor- Hon de Castro
In this light, Hon de Castro said there is more that the community can do to assist the Territory’s youth.
“We have persons in our community who can come in and mentor our young men and our young women…The reality she continued is that there is more that we can do,” she said.
Some schools, Hon de Castro revealed, have invited parents to come in and become lunch monitors during the hour lunch break. This enables more adults to be present at a time when, in some instances, hundreds of students are out on campus. They engage with the students and has really helped, the minister said.
“I want to encourage persons, especially if you’re an alumni of the Elmore Stoutt High School like I am, if you went to BFEC, if you went to the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies, reach out to the principals, reach out to the schools and see what role you can play there…Maybe there is a young man or woman who is in desperate need of a mentor,” Hon de Castro added.
We’re just asking for your time- Hon de Castro
The Education Minister said it is her belief that taking a few hours out of your week or month may seem like a drop in the bucket but can make a big difference.
“We’re not asking for your money or anything like that, we’re asking for your time and I think that these young people really need us to step out of our offices, whether it’s our government offices or trust companies or wherever we are and really just dedicate some of our time. I think we all maybe underestimate what a mentor can do,” Hon de Castro stated.
She threw out a plea to the business community, Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs), and Non-Governmental Ogranisations (NGOs) to assist the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports as it continues on its mission to support the Territory’s youth.
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10 Responses to “Bring back ‘the village’ to help our children- Hon de Castro”
“ It takes a village to raise a child” is an African proverb that means many people are needed to raise a child. The proverb suggests that raising a child is a shared responsibility.
Explanation
The proverb originated in the Nigeran Igbo community.
It conveys the idea that a child needs a safe and healthy environment to develop and thrive.
It recognizes that caring for children is a full-time job that requires more than just a parent.
It suggests that the village becomes a community of people who share responsibility in a child's development. “ Wikipedia.
Functional villages may have gone the way of sailing slops, renowned shipwrights, etc, but bringing the Village back is not insurmountable. It will require the group effort of the whole VI population reading from the same script, singing from same hymnal, etc. Like other activities, it requires strong and effective leadership( servant leadership) organizing, planning, unity, group effort, ethno-aggregation, all hands on deck….etc.