BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Sept 23, CMC -Barbados has become the latest Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country since the start of the new academic year this month to announce a zero tolerance policy for violence at schools.
In a statement, the Ministry of Education Transformation said that physical fights among students are being deliberately organized, recorded and being uploaded to social media for public consumption.
“This is not only a dangerous practice, but it is in direct violation of the rules and regulations which govern our schools,” the ministry said, adding that it has a zero-tolerance policy on violence in schools and students attending any education institution are expected to abide by these rules and keep the peace.
“Students who are found to be participating in this type of activity, whether planned or otherwise, inclusive of those who record and upload, will all find themselves bearing the full consequences for their actions.
“Parents, we continue to appeal for you to speak to your children about making good decisions for your children’s safety and health. You remain an essential partner of the Ministry, teachers and principals in ensuring that your children receive the best education and reap the benefits of a positive school experience,” the ministry said.
It said that it continues to provide the necessary Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools through the reinstitution of the Positive Vibe programme, the launch of the Community Service Learning (CSL) in all secondary schools and the continued provision of service-based clubs and activities that help to nurture the resilient contributing global citizens raised with Barbadian values.
“While we do not believe these instances are wide spread in our school system, we are of the view that one fight is one too many and is not worth the potential consequences.
“To our students who continue to contribute positively to their schools and the wider community, we see you and laud your efforts in helping us build the number one education system in the world,” the ministry added.
Earlier this week, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines government issued a warning to school students who engage in public brawls and other criminal behaviour with National Security Minister, St. Clair Leacock, indicating that disorderly students will face firm police action and that there will be no tolerance for street violence involving schoolchildren.
Leacock made reference to a recent viral video of schoolgirls fighting in the streets of the capital, Kingstown, adding that such behaviour would be treated as a matter for law enforcement, not just school discipline.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has warned that students who physically assault peers, teachers, or principals will face expulsion and criminal prosecution,
She urged teachers to send persistently misbehaving and disrespectful students straight home to deal with their parents, famously challenging critics by asking them to “volunteer to take them into your own homes” if they oppose removing violent youth from classrooms.
Jamaican educational leaders and security agencies have previously stepped in to address spikes in campus fights, online threats, and bullying, urging stronger parental accountability and conflict-resolution strategies.
Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Marlon Morgan, at the start of the new school term urged school administrators, students and parents to play their part in maintaining a learning environment free from violence and bullying.
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