With the theme ‘Say No to Violence’ primary school students around the country released specially marked balloons into the air, as they sent out prayers for a more peaceful nation, free from violence and crime.
Two such schools were the Dayanand Memorial Vedic School and the Penal Presbyterian School, where students released green, blue and yellow helium-filled balloons with prayers written on them.
The initiative was spearheaded by the National Primary Schools Principals’ Association in observance of World Day of Prayer as the organisation felt fear and disregard for life are seeping into the lives of young children.
Indira Birju-Daniels, who is also the principal of the Dayanand Memorial Vedic School, told the T&T Guardian the administrators are worried about the effects of crime on young minds.
“Violence is something that has been affecting all of us and continues to affect us so today the children of all the primary schools in T&T are making a statement—they have placed their wishes, hopes and their dreams on pieces of paper which have been placed in their balloons which have been sent off,” she said.
“As educators, we are faced with many challenges on a day-to-day basis. Our schools are a mirror of our society and molding young minds against the odds, and choices that adults make, pose a challenge for us.”
Appealing to adults to make wise and responsible decisions, Birju-Daniels added, “My concern is the influence of the society because these issues are societal issues, our students are plagued with these issues on a daily basis and when they come to school, they might want to practice what they are hearing and seeing.”
Birju-Daniels said at Dayanand, a number of programmes have been introduced to engage the students and keep them away from trouble.
“All of our students are engaged in yoga once a week, we also have established clubs and groups where children are mandated to join at least one - these are on lunch hours and after schools on Fridays such as martial arts, table tennis, football, drama classes, dance...Other schools who may face these problems I will encourage them to cater for the children, they to get them to become a part of activities where they will learn to better develop themselves and a better awareness of themselves will have encourage them to have better self control.”