Family planning is about quality– not quantity

THE EDITOR: Less than a month ago there was a story in the daily press about an elderly man from the countryside who boasted about having eight wives, 27 children and enough grandchildren and great-grandchildren to fill a polling station.

This week another story surfaced about a single mother from a rural community who has ten children and zero source of income. Now all of us want this young single mother to get the help she needs, but as a nation if we do not find a way to convince our young people that quality rather than quantity is paramount in family planning, then we will have to live with very high levels of crime, chaos and confusion forever. It is as simple as that.

Over 90 per cent of young men and women incarcerated come from deprived households.

Think about this: so many of us who were born in the 40s, 50s and 60s came from large families but now find that most of our children are wisely opting to have only one or two children. In this manner they have a much better opportunity to provide fewer children with the best education possible, which as we all know is the most important component in anyone seeking to become a kind, well adjusted and successful citizen.

GREGORY WIGHT

Maraval