Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter

Primary school students penned three heart-tugging letters to Prime Minister Bruce Golding, pleading for help, plus providing advice on how children can be better protected by the State.

The tear-jerking missives were penned by two third-grade students and a sixth grader. The letters were published in the latest edition of The Gleaner's weekly publication, The Children's Own, which is distributed to primary, all-age and preparatory schools across the country.

While two of the letters were appeals for help with their schools' infrastructure, one offered advice on how to prevent children from being kidnapped and murdered.

Mario Millwood, a grade-six student at Alpha Primary, was quite frank with the prime minister regarding the insufficiency of what is widely known as the 'Ananda Alert' - a three-digit emergency number that children in crisis can call to report cases of abuse.

The emergency number was implemented after the brutal slaying of 11-year-old Ananda Dean. The 11-year-old was reported missing on September 17, 2008, after leaving school for home.

Her decomposing body, found in Belvedere, St Andrew, almost two weeks after she went missing, had to be hauled from a precipice by a fire brigade truck.

At the time of her death, Dean was a grade-six student of Swallowfield Primary and Junior High School.

"I have come to realise that Jamaica's future (the children) are being brutalised by people in the country. They are being kidnapped and some murdered," said Mario.

"I have heard in the news that you have made an alarm for when school is over, but that is not enough," said the tough-talking tween.

He added: "I have a plan. You can set up a bus plan for each school in Jamaica. Although it will cost a lot, it is safe. Think about it, then you decide to tell the people of Jamaica. Have a good day, Mr Golding."

In an interview with The Gleaner, Millwood said saving lives was priceless. The youngster was optimistic that Golding would accept his proposal that would see children carried from school and dropped off at their gates. The student said he penned the letter during an extra-lesson class.

Mature way

His teacher asked students to write to the prime minister explaining how to stop crimes against children.

Phyllis Anderson, principal of Alpha Primary School, was impressed by Millwood's eloquence. "I am happy that a child is able to express himself like this in such a mature way," she said.

The other two letters were written by two third-grade students from the Port Maria Primary School in St Mary.

"I am asking for help at my school. Whenever it rains my school yard and classes are flooded and I cannot go to school. If I am at school and it starts to rain, the fire department and soldiers have to be called in to help the children," wrote Melissa Grant, as she petitioned the prime minister.

The child closed her letter with words that could melt the coldest of hearts. "Therefore, I am asking you in the love of Port Maria Primary School. Thank you, sir," she said.

Grant's schoolmate, Rannay Barnes, asked Golding for help with the same issue. "We need your help to make it better. The children need to go to school because they need to learn. The schoolyard is in a bad condition," said Barnes.

Barnes also invited the prime minister to visit the school and reminded Golding about the importance of children. "Remember the children are the future. Please, please help us."

Is the situation that bad at Port Maria Primary? Yes, it is.

Vivene Irvin, principal of the school, told The Gleaner that after the compound is flooded some students are forced to miss classes for almost an entire week. The start of the current school year was delayed by two weeks because of flooding that took place in late August.

"When it floods it is like a sea in the schoolyard and all the grade one classes are flooded," Irvin confirmed.

Irvin, principal since 1995, said the school has been flooded more than a dozen times since she has been at the helm. The relevant authorities are aware of the situation.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com