Police and the Ministry of Education are working together to investigate a stabbing incident involving several students at Parkinson Memorial School that left a 15-year-old boy stabbed in the abdomen and in serious condition in hospital on Monday.
The stabbing occurred around 10:45 a.m. on the premises of the Barbados Licensing Authority (BLA), only a stone’s throw away from the Pine, St Michael school, the climax of a melee that began at the school, according to police. One boy was wounded at school and ended up on the BLA’s compound after trying to flee from his attackers.
Chief Licensing Officer Lynette Williams said the “unfortunate” incident, which “spilled over from the main road into the yard of the BLA”, was traumatic for staff but workers were still trying to carry on with business and the office remained open.
“The Barbados Licensing Authority, in trying to conduct business to the public, will not be tolerating any form of disturbance or violence on its property,” she said.
Up to the time of publication, police said they were unclear as to what led to the assaults, but it is understood the fight began while class was still in session.
Two boys were injured in two separate locations, the Ministry of Education later confirmed in a statement.
“One of the students received superficial injuries to his shoulder and the tip of the third digit [finger], and was taken to the Edgar Cochrane Clinic, while the other student received an injury to the abdomen, and was transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He is in serious but stable condition.
“The other students involved in the incident have since been interrogated and suspended. The ministry sent one of their officers to the school to assist with information gathering, as police investigations continue into the matter. We will continue working with the Barbados Police Service and school officials, and update the public accordingly,” it said.
Police spokesman Inspector Rodney Inniss corroborated the ministry’s report of the boy’s condition. He also disclosed that the incident had been reported to Operations Control at about 10:45 a.m. and when lawmen went to the BLA, they found the 15-year-old student with a stab wound to the abdomen and he was transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in a private vehicle.
In immediate reaction, the island’s two teachers’ unions described the incident as distressing and sad, with the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) saying it “turned the spotlight on the urgent need for concrete measures to address violence within educational institutions”.
“As authorities grapple with the aftermath of this unfortunate event, the Barbados Union of Teachers remains deeply concerned about violent incidents among the school population across the island,” president Rudy Lovell told Barbados TODAY.
The incident, which occurred during school hours, sent shockwaves through the community as students and staff struggled to come to terms with the sudden eruption of violence within the confines of their educational environment, he said, which posed general school safety concerns.
Lovell pointed out that violence in schools creates an unsafe environment for everyone involved; disrupts the learning process, causing academic performance to suffer; and students may feel anxious or fearful, making it difficult for them to focus on their studies. He also pointed out that the welfare of teachers and ancillary staff was at risk during violent incidents and expressed concern that violence in schools can spill over into the surrounding community, affecting citizens and visitors alike.
“Addressing school violence is essential for maintaining public safety,” he said.
Pointing to other effects of this type of violence, Lovell added: “Experiencing or witnessing violence at a young age can have long-term psychological and emotional effects on students. Addressing these issues early is crucial for their overall well-being”.
The BUT president said the union hoped that the injured boys would make a full recovery.
“This incident has taken an emotional toll on the school community. This unfortunate incident serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need for proactive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and staff within our schools,” he said. “Violence has no place in our educational institutions, and it is imperative that we work together to address this worrying trend.”
The union leader suggested that it is important to address the underlying factors contributing to violence in schools.
“The BUT wishes to emphasise the need for increased investment in mental health support services, conflict resolution programmes, and community outreach initiatives. Addressing the root causes of violence requires a multifaceted approach that goes beyond punitive measures. We must prioritise the implementation of evidence-based interventions that promote positive behaviour, foster a culture of respect and inclusivity, and provide students with the necessary support to navigate challenges,” he said
The union again called for a plan to address this recurring issue.
“This plan needs to include immediate and long-term responses to the varied challenges facing many of the students who perpetrate violent acts. The union continues to have the interest of our children, our teachers, and our nation at heart and for the umpteenth time, we are calling for frequent stakeholder dialogues to look at possible solutions to this problem that is being caused by a minority of our students, [but] can have a negative impact on the majority,” the BUT leader said.
He also called for enhanced collaboration between educational stakeholders, law enforcement agencies, and community organisations to develop proactive strategies aimed at preventing violence before it occurs.
“By working together and prioritising the well-being of our students, we can ensure that incidents like this become a thing of the past,” he said.
The Barbados Secondary Teachers Union (BSTU) said Monday’s incident “is really sad and distressing news” that was the “awful reality” of increasing violence and indiscipline in too many of the island’s schools.
”What is even more saddening is that this indiscipline is also too often seen at the primary level. Many teachers feel impotent to address the indiscipline because the methods they now have available to them to address infractions by students are not working,” BSTU president Mary Redman told Barbados TODAY, adding that teachers are not getting the required support from parents in this regard.
“No one wants their children punished for any infractions,” she said. “But at the same time, the school is supposed to provide a safe space for students. These two things, one is dependent on the other.”
She argued that students are not learning there are consequences to their actions.
“When I say consequences, I mean either consequences to others of their actions or the consequences themselves for doing certain things…and understand the results are what exist now.
“Yes, there are measures that have been put in place by schools and the ministry to attempt to address the problem…. [but] the consistent attempts by students to bring weapons into some schools too frequently… really gives little hope that what we are doing in the educational system is addressing the root of the problem,” Redman said.
“What we are doing is not sufficient. It is not successful. The violence in the wider society is being brought consistently into our school environments.”
The secondary school union president recalled that after the killing of a student at the Frederick Smith Secondary School in 2019, the BSTU submitted a raft of recommendations to the ministry to tackle indiscipline in schools, “but I don’t know objectively that I can say the extent to which it is working”.
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