Minivan culture sends signal of lawlessness, says Education Minister

The omnibus, public transportation culture in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is sending a message to young people that we are a reckless society says Minister of Education, Vocational Training, Innovation and Digital Transformation Philip Jackson.

“We know about the van culture. The music is too loud. They’re driving too fast, and the lyrics are too graphic- violence and sexual content, that’s a given, and that can influence behaviour.

“But you know, the biggest thing about the van culture is not really the speed, the loud music. It sends a signal to our young people that we have a lawless society, nobody’s in charge,” Minister Jackson said at a March 10 consultation on school violence.

He stressed that concerns are growing over the impact of “van culture” and the troubling situation is contributing to bad behaviour of young people.

The education minister said that when students in uniform are seen engaging in inappropriate behaviour in public spaces, or when reckless driving and excessive noise go unchecked, it reinforces the perception among youth that “anything goes” and that no one is truly in charge.

He said this undermines efforts within schools to instil discipline, respect, and accountability because young people respond best to guidance that is firm, fair, and consistent and without that consistency, they may feel unsupported or disconnected from the wider society.

The minister is calling for greater community involvement to counter these influences, suggesting mentorship programmes and homework clubs to provide structured, supportive environments for students, particularly those who may lack guidance at home.

“Mentorship clubs. These are some things that we can do in our communities. And how about homework clubs? Now most parents say ‘you have homework today?’… ‘no’ and that’s the end of the discussion,” the Minister commented.

He added that students in school uniform can often be seen drinking in public.

“We cannot send the signal to our young people, as if, well, we can’t do anything. We’re helpless.

“We’re not helpless…there’s an opportunity to address the problem, but the window is closing fast. So, my big issue is not just loud music, but it’s the message it sends to our young people that anything goes. We have to address that. We have to let them know that a country is developed when each of us takes a responsibility, when students are disciplined, and there are standards that they have to aspire to, and we have to hold them accountable to those standards,” the minister said. The consultation heard first hand, the problems being encountered in secondary schools, including the use by students of marijuana.