The Editor, Sir:

When a good friend of mine on instant mes-senger made the comment "look wa yuh alma mater come to", I reposted a 'lol' - laugh out loud. As one who did not do too badly at oratorical competitions during high school, the moment I received that message I believed at most I was being jibed that my alma mater, either Ferncourt or Ardenne High was knocked out of perhaps a debating competition or School Challenge Quiz, hence the jovial reaction.

Not so, however, I was shocked into silence to be informed that a student from Ferncourt High had been killed by another student during the prime hours of the school morning. Not being in Jamaica at present gave me temporary relief from the constant 'look-behind-you' mentality which sadly is the reality that citizens go through on a daily basis. Thus I allowed myself to be shocked. But on second thought I realised I should not have been surprised at such news as the climate in Jamaica has long been one where citizens are forced to co-exist with human-beasts who know not the value of life.

Premeditation

What is most troubling is the apparent premeditation in the incident on the compounds of the school. It has been reported that the alleged aggressor borrowed a school crest to gain access to the compound so that he could commit this heinous act. Not only does it raise questions about security arrangements, but highlights a depleted mentality of savagery which exists in society.

The reality is that even individuals considered "academically bright" see the need to "chuck badness" or constantly indicate the ability to "dun a bwoi" in order to evoke respect, ensure survival or merely massage an ego. This is a social reality in Jamaica which puts a cloud on the potential of the nation.

Such events of immense nega-tivity makes my heart bleed when I consider the efforts of that honourable lady, Veronica Archer, former principal of Ferncourt High, who religiously sought to instil discipline, tolerance and the virtue of positive sacrifice within her charges. Having seen reports of the Minister of Education lamenting the security arrangements my mind goes back to an April 8, 2007 article published in The Gleaner.

I beseeched the then minister to review security in schools, with the following: "I think it is a joke that in a society like ours, there still exists security personnel armed with a mere baton at school gates. I have seen security personnel cower in fear in face of the 'badmanship' of individuals who, perhaps, make up a minority of society, but still a significant minority. Madam Minister I suggest that armed security personnel and search of bags and persons be mandatory in schools".

Security overhaul

I further pleaded that "a call for the attention of the Ministry of Education towards a swift and meaningful overhaul of the rather relaxed security situation in our schools should not go unnoticed".

When I contemplate that just perhaps, if more stringency security-wise were pursued in our edu-cational institutions it could have saved us from the bemoaning of our incumbent minister and more critically, preserved the life of young Garran Jones, I am forced to ask why do we not act, enforce and implement but rather bemoan when our laxity of purpose has yielded sorrow?

The initial response from the school's hierarchy has forced me to join my colleague and friend who asked what my alma mater had come to, but on a larger scale the holistic question is, as a nation what has Jamaica come to?

Implementation is the name of the game, 'lest we perish'.

I am, etc.,

ABKA FITZ-HENLEY

abkafitzhenley@yahoo.com