The Jamaican government has launched an initiative aimed at ending violence in schools.
Dubbed ‘Just Medz It’, the yearlong campaign seeks to shift the culture of violent confrontations and responses among children and students and equip them with conflict-resolution strategies that are peaceful and healthy.
Education and Youth Minister, Fayval Williams, says the campaign is a national call to action for every single Jamaican and organization to support efforts to engender and sustain a culture of discipline and peace in the home, school, and community.
She said the ministry intends to consolidate its human and financial resources, which will be brought to bear on the campaign.
“This includes the Safety and Security in Schools Unit, the Guidance Counselling Unit, the Health and Family Life Education Program, the Character Education Program, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), and the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC),” she added.
“Just Medz It,” will employ a multifaceted approach to reduce the incidence of violence in schools by improving the physical infrastructure, teaching, and incentivizing strategies to resolve conflicts peacefully, and providing psychosocial support to students and parents.
The authorities said it will also utilize the creative arts to maximize whole-school engagement and introduce character education programs to promote a culture of pro-social behavior among students.
The expansion of uniformed groups in schools, clubs, and societies is a key intervention under the program.
Williams said the initiative will involve multi-sector engagement including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and community-based and faith-based groups that are invited to partner with the ministry on the initiative.
She said violence in society is being reflected in the learning institutions, and she urged every citizen to play their part by becoming “promoters of peace”.
“We want a national call to action for educators, parents, students, and the general public to take personal and collective responsibility to end violence in schools,” she said, reiterating the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that learning institutions are safe environments for children.
Other strategies under the initiative include increased guidance counseling services at schools, the development of services to facilitate research and promote public discourse, as well as policy initiatives to prevent violence in schools.
A public education campaign will be conducted for the duration of the campaign and benchmark indicators will be established to determine the efficacy of the initiative.
CMC/
