![A section of the gathering at the meeting. [iNews' Photo]](https://i0.wp.com/www.inewsguyana.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG-20151119-WA0004.jpg)
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Balram Persaud accompanied by other senior officers, along with Religious Leaders attached to the Cops and Faith Community Network and Medical Practitioners attended the Community Outreach, which was held at the Black Bush Polder Secondary School.
At a previous community outreach in Springlands in October, a resident had asked for the outreach to be organized in the community for residents to be educated on suicide and mental health after he had listened to presentations from Psychiatrist, Dr Bhiro Harry and Substance Abuse Specialist, Caitlin Vieira.
At Wednesdays’ outreach, both medical practitioners made presentations on their respective field. Dr. Harry, who spoke vastly on mental health and depression, called on parents to pay keen attention to abnormal behaviors they might observe in a child. He urged that the parents seek aid and assistance to help their child or children.
Dr. Harry further called on parents to talk to children everyday “when they come home from school find out what they did at school and ask questions about their day. Don’t just tell them change their clothes and go to the garden.”
He also explained that talking helps to solve problems and if problems are solved then suicide would be reduced.
Meanwhile, Vieira spoke on the dangers of substance abuse and how it is linked to suicide. She stated that alcohol works as an antidepressant which could lead to suicide if overused.
She explained while alcohol consumption is at an all-time high, the most used drug in Guyana is marijuana, while cocaine is the most used among vagrants.
Additionally, the Assistant Commissioner told the small gathering that the Police Force is looking to complete several projects in the community, aimed at building a better relationship with residents.
As such, he pledged to rehabilitate a sports ground for the youths and the possibility of hosting a police Gymkhana in the community.
Pedro, that is exactly the source of a lot of educational problems. It is not the teachers job to ” take care of the children”. The teachers are simply a tool or service to assist parents “to take care of the children” The ratio of students to teachers is way more than children to parents, so who is better suited to counsel and guide? This is a way bigger problem than the authorities seem to think. Why is it predominantly Indians who are a leading statistic?
Pedro, educating the child is a partnership between the parent and the school/teacher. That’s how it is in most advanced countries. I know the value of this partnership because I have been a teacher in the UK for the past 24 years.
Police outreach tackles suicide, improving relationship with Berbice residents
Balaram Passad will stop people from killing dem self OMG OMG OMG
Balaram Balaram Balaram Ram Ram
What a bunch of idiots , parents must asked their children after school about their day at school, how many children will tell their parents the truth when they know the suffering thir parents are going through to send them to school.
Why shifting the responsibility from the school to the parents, aren’t the parents paying their fair taxes to the Government to ensure that is the responsibility of the teachers to take care of the children,