00:00210 former students at St. Augustine Secondary School were engaged through the Special Psychosocial Intervention and Educational Engagement Initiative.
00:10Policy and Community Support Director at the National Security Ministry, Zaheer Ali, says it was the supplement the police assistance
00:17the school has been receiving in a bid to treat with indiscipline and delinquency.
00:22The intended effect is that what was learned will be passed on.
00:26When you look at 210 students, you're looking at minimum 210 parents, if not more. You're looking at impacting a
00:33community, you're looking at impacting a nation.
00:35What would have been some of those engagements and what would they have looked like?
00:39Beautiful question. And today, let me take it from the TTPS and the psychiatrist, Dr. Varma D'Alsing.
00:44We dealt with the consequences and impact of dangerous drugs. And importantly here, also substance having a similar effect.
00:51He says this must also be followed up with the necessary psychosocial interventions, as the issue is becoming more and
00:58more prevalent among the general student population.
01:01And I think I'll take this opportunity to make a very strong call from a legislative context to strengthen our
01:07response in relation to this issue of vaping.
01:09And Ali expounds.
01:11I would like to see in the Children's Act in particular, if not other legislation, expressly indicating the prohibition of
01:20vaping in the schools.
01:23Secondly, when a matter of vaping comes onto the table, it should be properly investigated.
01:29And the reason for that is that the contents of the instrument that is used for vaping, you may be
01:35surprised that it's not only tobacco products, but may also be other products that may have a similar effect to
01:41a dangerous drug, if not a dangerous drug.
01:44Psychiatrist, Dr. Varma D'Alsing highlights the seriousness of drugs in the nation's schools.
02:11The students were also taught about self-expression, such as managing their emotions and having empathy,
02:18including towards their parents.
02:20UWE psychology lecturer, Dr. Christine Descartes, says it is also important for parents to empathize with their children and self
02:29-reflect on where they were at when they were navigating their pre-adult years.
02:33She states that problems for the present generation are compounded by social media influence.
02:39So things like the drugs that they see persons taking maybe on social media, the music that they are exposed
02:47to,
02:48also to the images in terms of the girls when they see, and even men too, or young boys, they
02:54see certain men looking a certain way and, you know, trying to fit in.
02:58And as the Lucero community is rocked by the brutal murder of 12-year-old Mercedes Lane, Ali has this
03:04to say.
03:05And I want to send condolences to the family of that 12-year-old and all other children who may
03:11have met their demise through crime and criminality.
03:14These engagements, we want to dedicate these engagements to those children.
03:18Those children passing should not go unlooked.
03:20And we want to take this opportunity to ensure that we shape and mould the minds to ensure that we
03:26don't have persons who may have perpetrated that act.
03:29We don't have persons like that in our society.
03:31Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
Comments