Prime Minister Philip J Pierre is calling for a renewed focus on values such as respect, tolerance and self-control, as Saint Lucia continues to grapple with an increase in crimes involving young people.
Speaking during Monday’s press briefing, Pierre argued that addressing crime requires more than government intervention alone, insisting that parents and society as a whole must play a greater role in shaping children’s behaviour and attitudes.
“We talk about crime and tolerance. Parents, parents must teach their children tolerance,” Pierre stated.
The Prime Minister said there is often a tendency to place sole responsibility for crime on political leadership, while overlooking wider social and cultural issues.
“So this crime situation, people seem to want to blame the prime minister for,” he remarked.
Pierre questioned whether sufficient emphasis is being placed on teaching children discipline, manners and respect for authority figures.
“Have we taught our kids how to be tolerant? Have we taught our kids how to have the basic manners, the basic respect?” he asked.
Reflecting on his own school experiences, Pierre pointed to what he described as a decline in traditional standards of respect within society.
“When I went to school and the teacher walked into the class, everybody stood up,” he recalled. “That’s what happened.”
“I did the same for you, right? When you were in college, when you went to master, everybody stands up. That’s what basic things of respect.”
According to Pierre, some of those values have been eroded over time.
“But we’ve thrown it out of the window because of politics,” he stated.
The Prime Minister also raised concerns about anger management among young people and the need for families to help children develop emotional control.
“This idea of children of anger. Have we tried to temper our children’s anger?” Pierre asked.
“So, a government can’t do that, you know, and you don’t need money to do that, you know. When you do that, it’s just a matter of values.”
Pierre stressed that the responsibility for instilling values begins at home and extends throughout society.
“Have we dealt with the values of our children? Have we shown our children the values of respect, of tolerance?” he questioned.
The Prime Minister also expressed concern over reports of parents threatening teachers, describing it as an example of the troubling behaviour being normalized within society.
“Do you know the amount of teachers who get threatened by parents? Every day,” he said. “Happened just last week in one of the schools. Parents threatened teachers.”
He argued that such actions undermine efforts to teach children proper conduct and respect for authority.
“So what example are we setting?” Pierre asked. “What example are you setting when parents can’t go to school and have a decent conversation with a teacher without a knife?”
Pierre insisted that the country must confront these deeper social issues seriously and avoid politicizing matters relating to crime and youth behaviour.
“These are things that as a society we cannot begin to tolerate it and play politics with, we cannot,” he asserted.
The Prime Minister also criticized what he described as attempts to distract from pressing national concerns through political controversy and sensationalism.
“And serious issues, there are serious issues we must deal with as a country, very serious issues,” Pierre said.
“I understand there are issues, good, let’s deal with it. I’m not going to get diverted.”