Violence increases as students return to face-to-face classes
Violence is plaguing the grounds of high schools. After two years of no face-to-face classes, students are back in school, not just with books but with weapons. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has been making their rounds at schools and they have confiscated knives, scissors, tail combs and even the compass from geometry sets. Anything that can be used as a weapon was seized in the St Catherine South Division.
Recent incidents of violence include the recent stabbing death of a William Knibb Memorial High School student, a stabbing incident at Petersfield High School and a Maggotty High School student who was stabbed during a fight. The JCF has become more alert to reducing violence in schools.
While some teachers are elated to have the students back at school they fear that violence is following the students. Marsha Daniel (not her real name) a high school teacher said, “I am afraid, after seeing the stabbing incident from Petersfield High School. It is not just the boys who are aggressive but the females too”. Daniel said teachers were supposed to control the crowd. They should not get involved in the fight but if the situation was beyond their control, then, “They should take notes so when the respective authorities come, they can tell them what happened”. She explained that when violence occurs, the teacher was required to send a student to call the security guard, dean of discipline and or principal. After that the teacher should continue with his or her class.
A parent said, “This is so sad, they are at school for education and this is what they are doing, I worry about the future of our country. I hope they understand this can cause them more harm than good”.
Korrine Deviney recalls that the Government of Jamaica once told the people that the country did not need social intervention, social workers and guidance counsellors. Deviney wants the government to understand that, “Math and Science aren’t the only things the children need. Children need more behavioural management classes. They need therapists, counsellors, the whole works, because parents themselves need training, too. Babies are having babies.”
Another parent opined that parents needed to understand that mental illness was real and should handle their children with great care; they did not know how to care for their children. “Jamaican parents do not see therapy as a necessary part of healing or even counselling, they need to be educated about parenting”, a frustrated parent expressed.
