Williams hopes targeted focus on restorative justice will reduce school violence
Published:Saturday | July 16, 2022 | 12:10 AM
Education and Youth Minister Fayval Williams says that with an increased focus on restorative justice in schools in recent times, she is hoping that the rash of violent incidents in the last term will be halted in the new academic year.
Speaking yesterday at a ceremony to present certificates to students who participated in a restorative justice workshop, Williams bemoaned the numerous brawls and physical conflicts which characterised the return to face-to-face learning after classes were held online for two years as a result of the pandemic.
“As we look to another school year starting September of 2022, I am hoping that we do not see a display of what we saw in the school year just ended with many of our school students in brawls, fighting each other, tearing off clothes, cursing, carrying on. We saw just how ugly that was,” the minister said.
She said that those incidents led the ministry to start teaching restorative justice in schools to give students, teachers and parents tools to handle conflict situations.
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, whose ministry has responsibility for the programme, said that students need the necessary skills to settle disagreements, noting that the country is being torn apart by wrongdoing of all kinds.
“Crime, violence, conflicts, disagreements are causing homes, institutions and communities to be at war,” he said.
“Many persons believe that the only way that they can settle their disagreements and conflicts is with the use of violence, abuse, and machete, knife and stone. That is not the way to settle our disputes across Jamaica,” he added.
Practical way to resolve conflict
Chuck said that his ministry has approached the church, encouraging it to also utilise restorative justice techniques.
According to Chuck, restorative justice is a process whereby all the parties with a stake in a particular offence come together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and its implications for the future.
He said that restorative justice is not only a philosophy but is a practical way for people to tackle and resolve conflict.
Chuck charged that there are too many people in Jamaica who seek to cover up wrongdoing, noting that they refuse to admit that they have done wrong. He said getting wrongdoers to accept that they have done wrong was the basis of restorative justice.
He urged Jamaicans to be apostles of restorative justice so that the country can be restored to a just, peaceful and prosperous place.
The justice minister said that while restorative justice is not a panacea to solve all the problems plaguing the country if communities use this approach to tackling conflicts, it would be a step forward in building a more peaceful and harmonious Jamaica.
The justice ministry has so far established 20 restorative justice centres across the country.
In May the ministries of Justice and Education and Youth signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the workshop involving 3,120 participants across 104 schools. Phase one of the workshop commenced on May 9 and was concluded on July 1, 2022.