Union wants to meet with PM, other stakeholders to discuss violence in schools

The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) wants an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Mia Mottley and education stakeholders to discuss recent violent events in the school system.

President Rudy Lovell said his union “was deeply concerned” about deviant behaviour in schools, following Wednesday’s incident at the Grantley Adams Memorial Secondary School where a prank by students brought classes to an early end and left teachers and students terrified.

“When will it end? So far we have encountered fighting, stabbings and now firecrackers. Teachers and students can’t take any more of this bad behaviour. Enough is enough, Lovell told Barbados TODAY in an interview.

“The BUT remains deeply concerned about increasing violent incidents in secondary schools and among secondary school children across the island, which do not only pose a threat to the students themselves, but to teachers, ancillary staff, citizens, and even visitors to these institutions.

“The most recent incident at a school was the release of an explosive device by a child that reportedly shook structures on the school compound. This is alarming and should send a frightening message to principals and officials at the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training (METVT).”

Lovell said the union had had enough and wanted a meeting organised as soon as possible to address the matter.

He said that in May 2019, the education stakeholders had discussions with the Prime Minister and that level of intercourse was needed again.

Students from the Grantley Adams School making their home early on Wednesday after firecrackers were set off in a classroom.

“Again the BUT calls for well thought out and carefully implemented responses to these acts of violence rather than knee-jerk reactions. We are also calling for real and urgent consultation between the BUT, other teachers’ unions, parents, and the METVT, as was done on 18 May 2019 to allow for a clear plan to be formulated. The implementation of this plan should be monitored and measured. 

“This plan needs to include immediate and long-term responses to the varied challenges facing Barbados’ educational system in the interest of our children, our teachers, and our nation,” Lovell stressed.

The BUT head added that coming out of that meeting, some of the measures put in place to curb violence in schools had worked to some degree but more ideas and discussion were needed.

On Wednesday at Grantley Adams, two students set off firecrackers in a classroom in the first form block, which led to the entire school body evacuating the property to the emergency assembly point. 

Principal Major Andrew Skeete said the police were investigating the matter.

Last Friday, a fight broke out between two 15-year-old students at the Frederick Smith Secondary School, which led to one of them being stabbed multiple times. 

The incident took place adjacent to the Sandpiper Hotel, a short distance from the Trents, St James school and the Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw and other ministerial officials visited the area.

Archer-Bradshaw said the prevalence of violence in schools was on the rise and that students were stashing weapons off campus.

She urged parents and people living in the community to help the ministry address the issue of violence in schools.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb