Kamla wants forensic centre at UWI Debe campus

AS a mechanism in the fight against crime, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar is advocating for part of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Debe campus to be converted into a forensic science centre.

Persad-Bissessar also called for the integration of the campus to serve a dual purpose, to train police and judicial officers to combat crime.

At the United National Congress (UNC) Monday night forum at Couva, Persad-Bissessar said the campus, built under her People’s Partnership government, is finished and called for its reopening. She said if it is not done under the present People’s National Movement administration, she will do it when she returns to government.

“We will double it as a faculty for both the public and training of the protective services to get certificates, diplomas, degrees, degree in policing, postgraduate degree for the protective services. All members of the protective services should at least have a certificate-level qualification before entering service,” she told supporters.

“Use it. It’s there on the ground, its finished, use it for a training facility, as well as for forensics. We need greater impact in the fight against crime, in evidence-processing.”

Persad- Bissessar also rolled out plans for the education sector, including modifying the curriculum for students from primary school upwards to learn Spanish as a second language.

“This will help our people break into the South American market of 422.5 million people,” she said.

With so many people losing their jobs, she said, the curriculum must reflect skill studies and make business studies compulsory to help students become entrepreneurs rather than workers. She also wants to see the history curriculum changed to focus on indigenous historys.

“Our children must be taught a true history that emboldens them and uplifts their self-worth. They are descendants of great societies and kingdoms, and they must know it.”

As she called for people who consider themselves PNM supporters and those on sitting on the fence to take another look at the UNC, she threw in a few goodies such as free preschool for children aged two to five, free transport and meals, as well as the return of the laptop for secondary school students.

She said a UNC government will introduce free pychological assessment for pre-school children in nine categories, including,academic, behavioural, social, emotional, adaptive functioning, fine or gross motor skills, speech and language in children with autism and dyslexia.

In this way, she said, teaching can be adjusted to suit the needs of the children, preventing problems which may occur later in their school life.

Free medical examinations to detect diseases, malformations and abuse at an early age, a $500 voucher each term for after-school activities, scholarships for arts, sports and vocational studies, reduction in homework, after-school meals, and an anti-bullying app to report incidents of bullying anonymously are also on the agenda of a UNC government, she said.