Brawl video prompts importance of new school safety app

Authorities are said to be investigating a social media video gone viral showing a group of brawling students at The Lodge School.

The video shows mainly boys cuffing each other, lashing each other with belts and fighting in various groups.

But in one disturbing moment, what appears to be a 55-gallon garbage can is dropped from a balcony striking some students in the head.

Head of Supreme Counselling Sean Clarke on Friday expressed grave concern about the “unfortunate incident”.

He declared it was strong evidence of the importance of the SafeZone Report It mobile app, launched earlier this month.

The Android and Apple iPhone app, which allows students and members of the public to send anonymous reports of problems to school authorities, is a partnership of the Ministry of Education, Supreme Counselling for Personal Development and the Maria Holder Trust.

Clarke said: “We have had a public outcry about the app and the use of the app and the violation of children’s rights and so on but the reality is that the safety of children supersedes all laws. It is time that we come to grips with what is happening in our society and work hand in hand to put systems and mechanisms in place to save our children.”

He was referring to strong criticism levelled by the fledgling United Progressive Party which charged that the app may be in breach of the 2019 Data Protection Act which seeks to protect individuals’ personal data.

The UPP said: “Section 8 of the [Data Protection Act] provides that the processing of a child’s personal data shall be lawful only where and to the extent that consent is given or authorized by the parent or guardian of the child.

“In the circumstance where every Barbadian is given the power to collect information on minors, which is then sent to be processed by groups of individuals the question arises as to how the consent of these children or their parents is to be obtained. Indeed, one may wish to ask the question, that now there is a pending legislative framework for data protection does the person facilitating the collection of the data on minors have the legislative powers to do so?”

But Clarke made clear that the app is not just one to report negative behaviour.

He said: “It is not just one to report bullying but it is one to report self-harming, it is one to report suicidal thoughts, it is one to report child abuse, one to report assault, one to report planned incidents like we saw today at the school so that the management of the school can be proactive in putting its supervisory systems in place to prevent activities like today’s activities from taking place.

“Barbadians need to see the SafeZone Report It App for what it is, a tool that can help us to save our children, that can help us to save a generation, that can help us to bring about some level of order, some level of decorum among our young people. It is a tool that can help us to save lives, the lives of our young people and to make school exactly what it is supposed to be, a place that is conducive for good teaching and a place that is conducive for  good learning.”

Education Minister Santia Bradshaw has endorsed the app, saying that as children return to in-person classes, everything must be done to ensure that schools are safe.

She suggested the technology had the potential to not only help administrators identify the children who need help and provide early intervention, but it could help reverse troubling practices.

(sandydeane@barbadostoday.bb)