Teachers at Ocho Rios Primary protest after VP 'assaulted' by parent

 

Teachers at Ocho Rios Primary School in St. Ann on Monday staged a protest after the vice principal of the institution was reportedly assaulted by a parent. 

 

Oshane Sterling, a teacher at the school, said the parent was upset after their child's phone was confiscated. 

 

"Before his phone was confiscated, he called his mother and his mother came on the school compound and fought our VP; she was hit in the head with a vase," he told Radio Jamaica News.  

 

Mr. Sterling said the teachers are unhappy with how the matter was handled by the police, which concluded that the parent should apologise. 

 

The teachers believe an apology "is not enough" and the student at the centre of the incident should be "relocated or removed" from the school. 

 

But Michael Belnavis, Chairman of Ocho Rios Primary School, has sought to downplay the severity of the incident involving the parent and vice principal. 

 

Speaking Monday with Radio Jamaica News, Mr. Belnavis said the teachers were premature in their protest action, as the information they had received was "a little erroneous". 

 

"They went on inuendos and information that was passed on social media and the social media information was not quite up to speed; it was skewed and they acted impulsively in that arena and their emotions got the best of them," he explained, adding that a meeting was held with the teachers involved.  

 

Following the meeting, the school board chairman said measures are to be implemented for the safety of the staff.

 

"We've already asked the [Jamaica] Constabulary Force to pass through in the mornings and in the afternoons and we're putting in some more security guards on the school compound. But it's more than just that. We're looking at conflict resolution as a solution also because that, to me, is how we deal with a situation so it doesn't get to...where it becomes physical."

 

Mr. Belnavis said parents will also be sensitised.   

 

 

Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) President La Sonja Harrison has condemned the assault of the vice principal of Ocho Rios Primary School.

 

Ms Harrison said, as a society, there needs to be a better way of resolving conflicts other than resorting to violence.

 

"That can't be the message that we communicate to our children, that if there is a problem at school, you go and you launch a physical attack on any member of the school community," she warned. 

 

The JTA president urged parents to "use the proper channels" to resolve whatever issues may arise involving their child or children.