Teams from the Ministry of Education and Youth will be visiting schools to conduct audits of their adherence to safety standards for equipment used in sports.
The announcement was made by former Minister of Education, Fayval Williams, at this morning's post-Cabinet press briefing minutes before she demitted office to take up the post as the country's Finance Minister.
Her statement followed yesterday's tragic incident in which 13-year-old Rashad Richards, a student at Campion College in St Andrew, died after a football goalpost fell on him.
His death renewed concerns about the safety risks associated with unanchored goalposts on school grounds.
“We will be reminding schools of these standards and teams from the Ministry of Education and Youth will be conducting visits to inspect these goalposts and ensure adherence to these respective standards,” she said.
The deaths of three students involving goalposts at schools in 2011 prompted calls for the development of guidelines for schools' sporting equipment.
The Education Minister ordered the immediate removal of all unanchored goalposts from public infant and primary schools after the third tragedy.
It also formed a committee to explore the use of safer materials in the construction of goalposts.
In March 2013, a male student at the Papine-based University of Technology, Jamaica was also left nursing chest injuries after a goalpost fell on him.
The circumstances under which yesterday's incident took place remain unclear.
“There are set standards for equipment used in sports offered at schools including goalposts and these standards are in the Jamaica Standards Specification for the safety and performance of football goals, it was the first to be completed at the time, it was created by MOEY, in partnership with the Bureau of Standards some years ago, and these standards include goalposts how should be used and even how they should be secured when in an and not in use,” Williams said.
She also expressed condolences to the family and friends of Richards and the school community.
“Schools must remain places of safety,” she said.
- Sashana Small
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