Change format of school devotions

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I recently visited a prominent high school in St Andrew to meet a parent. Devotion was in progress, and I noticed a group of students loitering in the car park. When I enquired of them why they were not in devotion, a few of them answered that they were of a different religion than that of the school's.

Others claimed it was a boring and uncomfortable exercise. They said that oftentimes, the person officiating went on well beyond his/her allotted time. And during all of this time, they had to stand in the broiling morning sun. This then got me thinking whether devotions, in its present form, should not be discontinued in schools.

Jamaica is often said to be a Christian country, but the vox populi no longer holds this to be so as other religions are gaining acceptance and popularity. Also, it cannot be denied that there is a growing disillusionment with Christianity and consequent resistance to it.

Therefore, it is prudent to find another way to reach the student rather than insisting pedantically in the present form. That can be achieved even more effectively if the format were changed to a non-sectarian one. This way, the message of probity would be received, without resistance, by all, irrespective of religious persuasion. Failure to manage and direct this change runs the risk of alienating the very students who are deemed to need it most.

E. ELPEDIO ROBINSON

P.O. Box 4105

Red Hills, St Andrew