Director of Safety and Security in the Ministry of Education, Sergeant Coolridge Minto, has indicated that several initiatives to improve safety and security in schools have been making a significant impact.
"Just a week ago, the dean of discipline at a school in St Mary was able to detect one student with live ammunition, and it was through the work of the dean of discipline and the metal detectors that the security detected that something was wrong, and a further search led to the ammunition being found," Minto said.
He said that the matter is now a matter that is before the courts.
In another incident, the St Andrew Central Police reported on Thursday that a student was held with a 9 millimetre pistol in his knapsack, containing 12 rounds of ammunition as he was about to enter the school.
The education ministry said that security personnel at the school were alerted to the presence of a metal object in the student's bag as they conducted routine checks using metal detectors.
Early this month, the ministry had moved to procure a number of metal detectors to replace the old stock; these Minto said, have been distributed to all schools.
Minto explained that based on reports from schools, the detectors have been reaping results.
"Several of the schools have confirmed the use of the detectors and that they are helping to serve as a deterrent to students carrying weapons to school because they know they are going to [be] checked or scanned going into the school," Minto said.