Violence can never be ‘normal’

THE EDITOR: Our Minister of Education in her latest utterances is telling the country that  school violence is normal at Carnival time and it will ebb as soon as exams come along. So, according to Mrs Manning,  do not worry, everything is alright. But, she didn’t say that after the ebb comes the flow and when the football season starts, according to her husband, the violence will once again escalate, which is normal. The vicious cycle repeats itself and has worsened rapidly ever since her government came into power.

Meanwhile, teachers and good students who value education, are living in fear as they face danger everyday of the school year. Teachers simply cannot perform and diligent students cannot learn. Even police officers and security guards are at risk. And, the wife of the Prime Minister says all this is normal. Mrs Manning, who never faced the polls, has also joined her husband in media bashing. She is peeved that the media will not let us forget about the school violence. In other words, she is telling the media how to do their jobs, and to sweep school violence under the blackboard by putting it on Page 30. In any  civilised country a Government minister making such remarks would have been asked to resign, and Mrs Manning should consider doing just that. It looks like chalkdust has clouded her thinking process and her brain waves.

JUDY GOSEIN
Harmony Hall, Gasparillo