MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Politicians and a regional education director in this south-central parish have lauded Manchester’s Custos Garfield Green for launching the Beliefs, Values and Attitudes (BVA) initiative targeting over 40 schools.

The BVA programme is aimed at facilitating attitudinal change and social revitalisation.

Speaking at the Porus Infant School recently, Green said there is a need for a sense of patriotism and social responsibility among Jamaicans.

“Our youth, our people, our country are hurting as a result of the indiscipline around us and the lack of respect for self and for others and the disregard for law and order,” he said.

“I condemn the social ills, the destruction of our homes, our families, our communities and our country with what is happening around us. Our people are profoundly confused and feel hopeless, but with a focus on law and order, the family, education, patriotism, we can turn things around,” added Green.

Some 43 schools in Manchester are set to benefit from the improvement and formation of uniformed groups through the BVA initiative.

Member of Parliament for Manchester North Eastern Audley Shaw commended the launch of the initiative in addressing falling standards.

“One of the problems we must be courageous enough to admit to is that we have in Jamaica a crisis of falling standards. The best place to begin to address that crisis is right here with our little children,” he said.

Member of Parliament for Manchester North Western Mikael Phillips also commended the initiative, which he hopes will build patriotism and awareness of social responsibility among the public.

Regional director for the Ministry of Education’s Region 5, Ottis Brown, said he has taken a keen note of the interest in schools and children, and commended Green for launching the BVA initiative at the early childhood level.

He said parents should start building character in their children from early.

“We have to start building character in the babies. Parents, those of you who think that because [children] are one, two, three years old, they don’t understand what is happening around them, you are making a sad mistake,” he said.

He said children should be guided away from doing the wrong things.

“So those who come home from school with things you did not buy for them and the school did not give them and the Government did not designate for them to get, you must make sure you take them back and teach them a lesson to say if this is something in your possession and you did not get it legitimately, let them know that it is stealing and they must not be doing that,” he said.

“People who don’t do that, you are condoning it and it is going to come back to haunt you,” he added.

He said parents should not confront educators who have justifiably reprimanded their children.

“When the teachers correct them in school, don’t go there to fight and break war and start another World War, because you believe that your child should not have been spoken to, or your child is spoken to too strongly,” he said.

“You know what I would tell the parents at school when they come with that behaviour? I say let hell freeze over and the Virgin Islands become pregnant but we are going to have standards. We are going to have principles, values and attitudes in our schools,” he added.