The Editor, Sir:

Recently, we have been hearing that "Jamaica mash up"; "Jamaica is unfixable"; "the education system is in crisis" and so on, and so on. How should our students view this? Should they plan to leave Jamaica?

Should they stop trying to excel since "nutten naw gwaan fi dem?"

I would like to say to the youngsters in Jamaica, especially the so-called inner-city males, statistics will show that you have been improving over the last 10 years. Please look at the number of students qualifying for sixth form, and the large number of entrants and graduates from our local universities. Those with the money have been going abroad to study. The universities will tell you that the majority of their students are from inner-city addresses.

Natural progression

Many of our mothers are now seeing sixth form as a natural progression for our students after CSEC, and university after CAPE. Why is this so? I would posit that the success of the growing number of our inner-city males is the answer. Every mother wants her son to go to university like Jonathan down the road, become a doctor like Miss Jenny's last son, or a teacher up at the high school. Fewer mothers are requiring their boys to go to work after CSEC or CAPE. They now understand that the benefits will be more after university. They can see this for themselves.

Another area to watch is the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Consta-bulary Force. Many young men armed with CSEC and CAPE certificates, are now choosing the force as their career option. Although qualified to go to the university, they cannot afford to. They see the force as the vehicle to take them there. Could this be the new beginning for the police force?

Our media should be highlighting these stories regularly. In times like these, our good youngsters are moving towards the fringe of society; they need to hear from the adults. They do not even want to read the newspapers or listen to the news anymore. We need them to know that we are proud of them and that they have a future in Jamaica. Not just once per year, but at least once per week, we should big up the youth. The young criminals' stories should be placed on any page number, except one.

I am, etc.,

CYNTHIA P. COOKE

cookelp@cwjamaica.com

Principal

Camperdown High School