The Ministry of Education says violence and indiscipline in secondary schools has dropped dramatically during the past year, with officials recording a reduction between 30 and 40 per cent.
Revealing this yesterday, Education Minister Anthony Garcia attributed this to the ministry’s hard-line approach and zero-tolerance policy not to condone disruptive and dangerous behaviour by deviant students.
He also said it was evident in the reduced number of requests for extended suspensions.
During a media briefing at the Ministry of Education, Port-of-Spain, Garcia spoke of the rehabilitative efforts through the Learning Enhancement Centres initiative to reform students identified as such.
Quietly boasting that his ministry had been able to “Achieve a great and substantial reduction in incidents of violence and indiscipline,” Garcia admitted while there continued to be “some minor infractions,” the ministry was addressing them as they arose.
Revealing details following a meeting with the parents of 17 students of the El Dorado West Secondary School on Tuesday, Garcia said every parent accepted the fact that their child had done something wrong and indicated support for the ministry as to the decisions moving forward.
The students were reportedly involved in an altercation in October, during which they were alleged to have physically attacked a fellow classmate by beating and punching her. The incident was recorded and uploaded to social media.
While the students were immediately suspended and have now been enrolled at the Learning Enhancement Centre, Couva, Garcia has promised that further consequences could be forthcoming, depending on the assessments that follow.
Referring to the students parents acceptance that they must face the consequences of their actions, Garcia described it as, “A step in the right direction.”
Reinforcing the minister’s claims, chief education officer Harrilal Seecharan said: “We have in fact in the last year or so, made a significant dent in terms of incidents of violence and indiscipline in schools.”
He said it could be as a result of a national strategy to incorporate elements of crime prevention and rehabilitation to assist students in resolving conflict and other programmes on anti-bullying.
Seecharan said, “Within recent times, you would have noticed many incidents taking place outside schools.”
Promising to strengthen the role of religion in schools, Garcia said denominational boards had to take a greater responsibility all areas including repairs, maintenance and construction.