It is almost universally accepted that the crass and coarse behaviour of our people especially our youth has reached intolerable levels. It is also almost unanimous that this behaviour serves as the incubator for criminals and social deviants. So the big question is: Why aren't more attention and resources being directed at eliminating this national threat?

The home, school and Church were once the traditional institutions on which society could depend to inculcate moral values in its young. Unfortunately, too many homes have been rendered impotent to carry out this exercise as a result of the myriad abnormalities present in family structures these days. This has resulted in far too many of our young people not being able to benefit from the fruits of a balanced family life.

This absence of family life is also responsible for the Church not being able to exert moral influence on the youth, since there is no one in the home with the authority and moral fortitude to ensure that they attend.

The golden opportunity

But even when their interest in matters academic is not very high, the vast majority of our youth go to school. And, that is where the authority gets the golden opportunity to maximise their effort to ensure that every child who attends school is taught the social graces.

The social graces should be placed on the school's curriculum and be taught to children from the early childhood stage through to university. I am convinced that if measures of this sort are not adopted, it's going to be virtually impossible to rescue our young people from social ruin, spiritual alienation, and eventual economic deprivation.

I am, etc.,

CASHLEY BROWN

Cashleybrown.investorschoice

@cwjamaica.com