Dear Editor,
I recently observed that the Ministry of Education is devising plans to revamp the education system and, because I have been within the education structure at various levels, I believe I can make a valid contribution to this renewal effort.
I would like to recommend that the planners at NCERD should place a major emphasis on those factors that have been negatively impacting our society, and design any new curriculum to address these. One of the greatest of these is the frequent incidence of suicide among our young people that has become like a virus in our society.
My first recommendation is that we revive the course on Health and Family Life Education which was instituted and carried out at all levels of the teaching profession by a team of which I was second in charge. For some reason only known to the previous administration this programme, which catered for the psychological, emotional and to some extent spiritual development of students in our schools, was unceremoniously discontinued. There was a large component on Building Self-esteem, which we all will agree has the potential of helping students to counteract any negativity that can lead to hopelessness and ultimately to thoughts of suicide.
I shall be willing to share my experience and offer any advice and help that may be required to further this programme.
Yours faithfully,
Roy Paul
