As a national leader and an aunt of school-aged children, I am deeply disturbed by the content of a video that has surfaced, which appears to have been recorded in a school setting somewhere in Guyana. The behavior depicted is unacceptable and wholly inconsistent with the values, discipline, and character we expect from students who attend school to learn and prepare themselves to become responsible adults in our society.
From all indications, the students in the video were unsupervised, and the incident occurred within a classroom. Such conduct, if left unchecked, can easily escalate into more harmful behaviors. Statistics already show that young people aged 15 to 24 account for approximately 14 percent of new HIV infections. This worrying trend serves as a reminder that the choices our youth make today carry serious and long-term consequences.
I am not here to judge these students; rather, I believe it is time for our society to speak up and speak out against behaviors that place our young people at risk. Silence will only exacerbate the situation, while accountability and guidance can help save the lives and futures of our youth.
I am certain many of the students seen in this video do not exhibit such behavior at home, but peer pressure remains a powerful influence. As parents, we must initiate these conversations at the breakfast table. While teachers have a clear responsibility in the classroom, we at home must also fulfill our duty to instill discipline, values, and self-respect.
I thus call on the relevant authorities, particularly the Ministry of Education, to conduct a thorough investigation into this troubling incident and to take the necessary steps to address this immoral and inappropriate behavior.
