BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC — A senior social policy expert believes the time has come for a review of the education system to better cater to the needs of Caribbean children, who are also faced with increasing health challenges.

Dr James Fletcher, who is the director of social development in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), said that while Caribbean officials continue to boast that children are generally engaged at the primary and secondary levels in terms of education, the high incidence of dropouts and increasing repetition rates were concerning.

“We are seeing a disconnect between children and teaching in some instances, so I think a rethink of the education system from early childhood all the way up to tertiary is in order,” he told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

Fletcher said the review should address “not just a system in term of exams, but also support services”.

One of the main presenters at the UNICEF’s Mid-Term Review Meeting which ended last Thursday, he also said the health of the region’s children was of concern, while noting that there has been an increase in childhood obesity and other ailments, such as diabetes.

The OECS director of social development believes that for too long the region’s young people have been absent from the table when it comes to establishing social policies on their behalf.

“I am challenging the policymakers and the people working with children to start viewing the agenda for children through a different lens. I think we are using old ways and old methods of looking at the problem, that we are not coming to coming to grips with,” he said.

Fletcher noted that he remains concerned that the region’s children are not fully engaged. He said the old dictum that speaks to children as being leaders of tomorrow should be changed because children are leaders of today in their own rights.

“I am pro-children, but I also support the development of a Caribbean society, and I think if we are saying that the children are an important part of our society then we have to create the necessary infrastructure for them to operate,” Fletcher said.

“We can’t pretend that child sexual abuse is not a major problem. We can’t pretend that this global economic crisis which we feel in the Caribbean is not having an impact on young people. We can’t also continue to pretend that the people who are parenting those children have the proper parenting skills, so it’s a wide issue. I think that we have to invest more in children and young people in our region,” he added.