By Darcel Choy Wednesday, July 4 2012

Chairman of the Police Service Commission Ramesh Deosaran yesterday urged parents to protect their children as they are living in a toxic environment.

Deosaran said parents now have an additional duty to immunize their children, inculcate in them values and standards so they can resist the influence from that toxic environment.

“There in that toxic environment is what I call money madness. The quest for money without effort, the quest of achievement with money and fame without integrity is all part of this toxic environment,” he said, addressing graduating SEA students of the El Socorro SDMS Hindu School, Maraj Street, El Socorro.

He echoed statements made by Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph Harris on Sunday, that the country was going downhill.

“We don’t want these children to give the police more trouble than they already have by breaking the law, stealing, by becoming bad boys, by following the lyrics pervading electronic media...there is a need for vigilance or else we will lose them,” he said.

Deosaran, a former teacher of the school, told the students when they get into form one some of the residue from the toxic environment will likely capture their minds.

“It is therefore an additional duty of your parents to beware of culture shock. Getting in a secondary school for a student coming from a place that is comfortable, as protected as the El Socorro Hindu School would not be an easy challenge,” he said.

“Many a bright student from primary school, coming very high up in exams have faltered and have mentally collapsed because of not being able to meet those social challenges in secondary school.”

Worried about the young people coming out of secondary school, he urged parents to be more involved in their children’s school by getting familiar with their teachers and told them to ask a lot of questions.

Deosaran, who is also a member of the Teaching Service Commission, expressed concern about the number of teachers that have to be disciplined by the commission.

“A number of teachers are coming before the Teaching Service Commission now for disciplinary matters, assaulting students hasbeen increasing so it is not only a matter of teaching students but also about the character of the teachers themselves,” he said.