A University of the West Indies associate professor and psychologist does not support calls for children’s homes identified in the recent retired Justice Judith Jones report to be shut down.
Speaking during the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) Tuesday Talk, Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor said, “This is a society, their first reaction, mash it up, break it up. Who is talking about building up? … I am not discounting the fact that there is abuse and there are all these situations. Who was there for those children when they needed those materials and physical services?”
Instead of closing down the homes, she said resources should be injected into these homes and training should be provided for staff.
Noting that the St Michael’s Home for Boys’ was closed because of abuse, she questioned, “What has been the solution? Where did those children go? We need to change the narrative in this society. We have to stop saying mash it up, break it down. We have to look at building and supporting and providing what is already there.”
She also did not support the Government spending millions to establish an inter-agency task force to implement recommendations of the Jones report.
“This is not any short term thing, this is not any knee-jerk reaction, this is not any giving task forces $126 million to come up with solutions. Give me a break. This $126 million should be put into services and resources for these homes.”
Speaking on the upsurge in school violence, Nakhid-Chatoor said there have been calls for parental programmes. However, she said the parents often do not attend because of work commitments.
Nakhid-Chatoor said employers must be on board and give parents time off, with pay, to attend these programmes.
She said another way in which they could help children is by identifying and tackling children’s issues, whether it be at home or at school, when they are in early childhood and primary schools, instead of when they become teenagers.
Speaking on the issue of domestic violence, Nakhid-Chatoor suggested that shelters be set up for the perpetrators rather than the victims.
“Instead of removing those women and children from the home, remove the man. Get him to a place where he can be rehabilitated. Where he can be provided with counselling,” she added.