Inner-city teen wants greater access to education for peers - Believes this will help stabilise communities

As he watched the unrest in his Midtown community of Tivoli Gardens following the controversial shooting of resident Horaine Glenn during a confrontation with soldiers, Marvellous Morgan, 17, has made an impassioned plea for the Government to invest more in education and to make it more accessible

He believes that by doing so, situations like last Saturday’s shooting can be avoided as there would be a reduced need for the constant presence of security personnel in garrisons.

“Sometimes I am saddened by what is happening around me because it is never good when someone is killed by gun violence. But my aim is to ensure that I complete my studies so that later on in life I can come back and help the young people in my community to get more educational opportunities,” he said. “So I believe that upper heads like Mr Desmond McKenzie [member of parliament of West Kingston] need to find ways to reach the delinquent youths in the community and help them find ways to improve their lives in terms of their education and employability.”

Morgan, who has eight Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects, is currently in lower sixth form at the Dunoon Technical High School where he is doing four subjects at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations level. He wants to become a flight attendant and is hoping to be a positive influence to his community.

“I want to provide all that is necessary for young people to uplift themselves. But the main area of focus will be education and the access to it. A lot of young people in my community have either dropped out of school or can’t support their studies,” he said.

The police say that Glenn and three other persons were accosted by soldiers who were on a foot patrol on Charles Street during which a confrontation developed between him and the soldiers. He allegedly grabbed one of the soldiers’ guns and was shot. But residents have refuted the claims, stating Glenn was killed in cold blood.

Morgan said he knew Glenn and described him as a “good person” who “always wanted to help everyone”.

“I am distraught because Horaine is not any bad man. He is someone who will go out of his way to help people. He loved to cook and always ensured that everyone in the house eat especially during the pandemic when the lockdown measures were in full effect. He is someone who showed me that kindness does not have to come with conditions because anyone here would tell you how helpful he was as a person,” he said.