Editor

Please spare me space in your reputable and widely read newspaper to express my candid opinion about the unprecedented rate at which most of our young school going students are becoming apprentices with commercial passenger vehicles; This is especially  common among those that are plying the Brikama-Westfield and Westfield-Banjul highways.

Everyday, one would feel irritated whenever they went to the garages only to see teenage boys frantically running after passengers, begging them to board their vehicles, just in return for only five dalasis from their egocentric  so called bosses [the drivers]. This sometimes lead to a heavy brawl between these boys, and it normally results in injuries.

It is still a controversial motion after years of debate as to whom the accusing finger should be pointed at, as to who be should be held responsible for this moving exploitation. Some accuse the parents, some say the Drivers, while others say the Education department should help in curbing this prevailing concern.

For my own part, I believe that all three parties have a key role to play. I believe that every responsible parent most have the mentality that children are precious gifts from GOD and that they need to be taken care of up to the time they are able to identify what can benefit them from what can ruin them. I believe that it is the responsibility of parents to monitor their children's presence and absence at school. But how many parents care about this?

On the other hand, drivers that harbour these young students are only running for their own interest, because taking out only five dalsis from their earnings won't do any harm to them.

The education department, of course, has a leading role to play even more than the parents do. I believe that if they make it a policy that no school going student should be trained as commercial vehicle apprentice, the phenimenon, if not totally put to a stop, can be curbed to a great degree.

Ousman Bah

Mandinaba