Stocktaking time for fathers

THE EDITOR, Madam:

While Father’s Day comes around once more, and pleasantries have been exchanged, it is also an opportune time for us to contemplate that according to several sources of information, 85 per cent of the youth in prison are from homes without fathers, and this is not only a Jamaican problem.

This fact suggests that if we really want to solve our crime problem in Jamaica, it is necessary that we address this father-related problem in a multipronged way.

While laws should be put in place so that the paternity of every child is established by DNA analysis at birth, the teaching of proper fatherhood, motherhood, and parenting should become a part of the curriculum in schools as a major crime-prevention strategy. It is bad enough that we have a high crime rate, but worse when we identify the causes and fail to address them.

Hopefully at least the ministries of Education, National Security, and Health and Wellness will work together to make this happen.

WINSTON FOSTER