Garth Rattray IT'S HEARTENING to see the National Commercial Bank (NCB) launching their $150-million education initiative. Over the next year-and-a-half, the money will contribute to our country's education on several fronts, including the sponsoring of two Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) subjects for each student, scholarships/grants, literacy programmes, computer donations, and mentoring programmes.
The initiative commits NCB to "invest" about $15 million each year towards educating our youth. I can see now why Michael Lee-Chin has done so well in his various businesses; he is a futuristic thinker. I hope that NCB, along with other private financial institutions and big businesses, will continue giving voluntarily towards education.
We have all been touched by crime in some way. I was the victim of a hold-up by two knife-wielding young men when I was in high school. In spite of my experience, I hold fast to the belief that most 'criminals' are not born, they are made by a society lacking in something, be it resources, social programmes or caring attitudes towards the less fortunate. It is very unusual for educated young men to commit armed robbery, aggravated robbery or murder. By 'educated young men', I mean those who complete five years of meaningful high school education and not those who simply go along for the ride.
Our general reaction to crime has not done enough to prevent it. Instead, we tend to indulge in excesses, which prove ineffective in the long run, end up oppressing many and tarnishing our international human rights image. The Police Force is analogous to the body's immune system and it is in the process of working assiduously at trying to eradicate crime. Occasionally, it goes awry and attacks innocent members of society, as seen in some cases of extra-judicial killings. This practice is illegal, immoral, dangerous and untenable. If a similar event were to take place within the body, we would call it an auto-immune disease, like lupus, for instance.
PREVENTATIVE CRIME MEASURES
Despite our best efforts, most of our so-called anti-crime measures are not preventative but are, in fact, techniques for fighting crime that already exists. Our society hasn't taken enough steps to prevent the union of the two major components of criminal behaviours: 'need' and 'mindset'. A lack of education contributes to a lack of resources and, hence, the 'need'. It also contributes to the 'mindset' because an under-educated mind lacks the knowledge base for the informed reasoning that it takes to properly think through all the ramifications of criminal behaviour.
The difference between anti-crime measures and crime-fighting measures reminds me of the difference between contraception and birth control. Contraception is anything that prevents conception, whereas birth control either prevents or derails events that lead to a birth. Therefore, abortions (I'm not referring to miscarriages here) are not contraceptive; they fall under 'birth control'. The lives of violent people end up being 'aborted' by one of two means. Either someone ends up killing them or we lock them away from society. Neither does anything to prevent the emergence of a new, more ruthless and hardier breed of criminals. Education, like contraceptives, cannot provide 100 per cent prevention against crime but it addresses the prime factor responsible for the production of criminals within our society. Whenever a society has to resort to heavy-handed policing, it's already in deep trouble. The disease process has spread and now our immune system (police) can only try to cope.
Since one of the most powerful anti-crime measures is a solid educational background, it is wise for us to act upon this current thrust and extend our efforts to include children, adolescents and adults in need of a proper education. Every minor seen begging/working on the streets should be taken in, their parent(s)/guardians contacted and their proper education assured. We should not wait until they commit serious crimes before we take notice of them.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES
We mustn't forget our correctional institutions; they contain a disproportionate number of illiterate and under-educated youth that come from low-income urban communities. More educational programmes should be established within them in order to give individuals the opportunities to achieve and maintain productive and crime-free lives. Education has proven to be more rehabilitative than boot camps. Experts have determined that any investment in educating our youth is a bargain.
The expense of educating our underprivileged is minimal when considering the impact upon recidivism rates, the future costs of crime-fighting and the overall well-being of the nation. Education will increase production, significantly reduce the need for expensive security equipment/manpower and save lives.
Dr. Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
