The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) called for clear timelines for the implementation of the government’s newly announced plan to tackle rising school violence. President Rudy Lovell warned that similar initiatives had been outlined in the past with little to no visible progress.
Over the weekend, Minister of Education Kay McConney unveiled a comprehensive strategy aimed at curbing violence within schools. Measures include deploying additional social workers in collaboration with the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, launching a new parenting programme in partnership with Parents Education for Development in Barbados (PAREDOS), hiring more psychologists, and expanding mental health literacy training to primary school principals and staff.
Lovell noted that comparable proposals were made over five years ago but with minimal follow-through. He highlighted a meeting held in May 2019 where several key issues were discussed, including the staffing of the Office of Student Support Services.
“At a three-day meeting that began on May 18, 2019, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC), the Ministry of Education addressed several key issues, including the staffing of the Office of Student Support Services. To better inform their strategies, school audits were commissioned and the government committed to appointing safety officers, guidance counsellors and social workers to address the identified challenges,” Lovell said.
He added that there was also discussion around the removal of disruptive students to prevent a toxic school environment.
“The Barbados Union of Teachers supported these initiatives then and continues to support the proposals noted by the Minister of Education, the Honourable Kay McConney. However, we now urge the ministry to provide clear timelines for implementation, to ensure accountability and transparency. Furthermore, consultation in these matters must be consistent and proactive rather than appearing reactionary,” he said.
Minister McConney revealed that around 300 problem children had been identified across the school system. Lovell acknowledged that some educators might view the estimate as conservative but agreed it was still a serious concern.
The education minister had also announced the completion of the draft National School Security and Safety Policy, developed with input from stakeholders, including the Barbados Defence Force, Fire Service, Police Service, and the education unions.
President of the Barbados Association of Principals of Public Schools (BAPPSS), Stephen Jackman, welcomed the measures but cautioned that the success of the initiative would depend heavily on parental involvement.
“We are also happy that there will be some attempt to help parents cope with these children, because whether you like it or not, once the children leave school they are going back to the home environment,” he said. “So both home and school will have to be on the same page. Putting programmes in place for parents, recruiting new staff, those things are going to take time. It cannot be done overnight.”
