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Architects
of OECS Human Development Report advised to keep the plight
of Young People in mind. |
 Castries,
St. Lucia, December 14th 2007:- The Policy Advisory
Committee for the 2008 OECS Human Development Report (OECS
HDR) has been urged to incorporate within its plans, the
plight of Youth in the OECS, particularly in the area of
male under achievement.
Addressing a recent sitting of the Advisory Committee for
the OECS Human Development Report, which is guided by the
OECS Social Policy Unit, Director General of the OECS Dr.
Len Ishmael referred to the declining percentage of male
graduates as a critical matter: “I recently attended
commencement proceedings at the UWI Cave Hill University
Campus and the margin of young men graduating to girls was
in the region of one to four. In certain disciplines out of
a hundred graduates there might have been one male name. I
mean it’s just startling. Thirty years ago the numbers were
completely different.” |
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Citing one of many
examples, Dr Ishmael reminded the OECS Human Development
Report advisory committee, that problems associated with
youth, particularly male under-achievement can deeply affect
beyond the family system in the OECS and wider Caribbean.
Experts identify the family as the most important agent of
socialization and a significant asset to social stability:
“The woman comes back home with a degree. Inevitably she
gets married to the guy who dropped out of high school who
was the boyfriend who did not go to college. Things are ok
until the first child comes along then he abuses her because
everything has been bought by her; she has bought the car,
she has paid down on the mortgage. He hardly does very much
by way of contribution to the household. Within three years
the marriage is out because the woman feels that she has
been carrying the load and she is holding on to nothing and
she moves on. We see this already repeating itself
throughout our Member States. So it’s not just an issue of
our young men. It’s not just the issue that they are
dropping out of high school. It’s not only the issue of
crime and criminal behaviour. But it has really profound
implications for what happens with young family formation in
the OECS and of course those implications will be long
term.”-Len Ishmael
The OECS Director General also expressed her concerns about
challenges facing youth within the context of the OECS Youth
Initiative. The OECS Youth Initiative, mandated by the OECS
Authority to enhance the process towards youth development
also falls under the OECS Social Policy Unit.
The OECS Social Policy Unit is also responsible for Social
Policy Formulation among its core functions. The next OECS
Human Development Repost is expected to be ready by
September 2008. |
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