SCHOOLERS BRAWL

A love triangle is the alleged cause of the latest flare-up of violence among some Corporate Area schools, resulting in at least three students sustaining injuries and one institution closing its doors out of fear for those under its care.

Yesterday, the principals of several of those schools were detained in meetings, clamouring for solutions to prevent further escalation.

“This is unwanted, this is uncalled for, it has taken us by surprise. It shows that the students really have some violent tendencies,” Keven Jones, principal of Mona High School in St Andrew, told The Gleaner.

According to him, a student from The Queen’s School, allegedly, had been involved in a relationship with a student from Calabar High School moved on to a relationship with a student from Mona High.

The principal said that based on investigations, threats were being made to the student from his school, which culminated in a brawl between students of the two institutions at the Transport Centre in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, on Monday.

The incident, which was captured on video, spilled on to the roadway, and one student from Mona High sustained injuries and was hospitalised. He has since been discharged.

Student stabbed

In another video being circulated, several students from multiple schools engaged in an altercation in which a student from Calabar High School was stabbed. His injuries are reportedly minor. A student from Campion College also sustained minor injuries in the incident.

After seeing the second video of the fight that took place in the public space, Jones said he made the decision to cancel school for yesterday and today.

“I don’t want my students to be caught up in what is happening because the safety and security of our students is prominent at this time,” he said. “Losing two days is far insignificant when it compares to a child perhaps losing his or her life. Let them stay home. Keep them off the streets while as adults, as school administration, we work out the best way forward.”

Avoid Transport Centre

In a statement sent to parents, Acting Principal of Campion College Lavare Henry, “out of an abundance of caution”, urged students who use public transportation to be extra cautious and to avoid the Half-Way Tree Transport Centre in the coming days if possible.

Senior Superintendent of Police Marlon Nesbeth, commander of the St Andrew Central Police Division in which the transportation hub is located, told The Gleaner that additional police would be deployed in the vicinity to monitor the movement of students.

In a joint release yesterday, principals of Calabar High School, Mona High School, Jamaica College, St George’s College, and Kingston College said the students involved in these incidents would face disciplinary action.

“It is important to emphasise that this kind of behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated. We are committed to creating a safe and nurturing learning environment where all students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Acts of violence or aggression have no place in our educational institutions or public spaces. Our students must recognise and understand that they are ambassadors for the school both on and off the school premises,” the statement read.

It added that such behaviour was unacceptable and went against the values of respect, civility, and cooperation that they strived to instil in their students.

The principals also urged parents and guardians to have open conversations with their children about the importance of respectful behaviour and conflict resolution and for students to report any incidents or concerns to school authorities immediately.

“We will continue to work together to promote a culture of understanding, empathy, and peaceful resolution of conflicts,” it said.

But while expressing concern about the latest upheaval of violence in schools, Leighton Johnson, president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, told The Gleaner it would take a national approach to address the recurring issue.

“Unfortunately, we have become a very violent nation, and for the most part, people tend to resolve their conflicts with violence and our students that come from various communities come from various homes, they live this. They see this, and they emulate this kind of practice,” he said.

He called for a reintroduction of the values and attitudes programme in schools and stressed that the intervention must also extend to the wider society.

“It requires a national campaign that starts from the home, that spills over into the communities, that all agents of socialisation - the home, the Church, the school, the clubs, the civic societies - everybody has to speak with the same voice to ensure that as a nation, we reduce the level of violence that we perpetrate against each other,” he said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com