Dear Editor,

I am a past student of Cockburn Gardens Primary and Junior High School and have been mentoring the junior high boys for a number of years. When I just started the boys were reserved and would barely construct a proper sentence. We have conducted a number of mentoring exercises, field trips and yearly retreats. These activities aim to get the boys out of their comfort zone, teach them new things and bridge the gap between them and the police. Over the years I have seen some level of growth as some boys are now more eager to learn and push themselves to achieve more.

This week, at their graduation, I was stunned as I sat and listened to the different graduates giving tributes, speeches and introductions. These are not the same shy boys I met some years ago. It brought me back to what I have always believed about our nation’s children: Nothing is wrong with them; all they need is a little guidance, mentoring and coaching.

We, as adults, are the problem, because we force them to act as adults too quickly; and when they start acting up we blame the teachers, Government and society.

Cockburn Gardens Primary and Junior High School has really grown and you can see it in the students and teachers based on how they perform. A school that, in my mind, has been neglected because of its location — and probably because of the type of students perceived to attend the institution — is rising to the occasion and slowly making its mark nationally.

The school has been participating and medalling in a number of competitions, be it Festival, netball, football, cricket, school’s challenge quiz, or drama, to name a few. The school that once was stigmatised and branded inner-city has been producing world-class talent, some of whom have moved on to a number of other high schools and have really outdone themselves.

Even though the institution is not where it should be, the teachers, principal and the school board should be commended for the work put in to get the institution to where it is today. This is really encouraging, and I hope the parents and community members support the school in whatever way they can because the sky is the limit.

Nickoy Brown

nickoyb@yahoo.com