JTA President Leighton Johnson
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Leighton Johnson
By Nakinskie Robinson
Jamaica Teachers' Association President Leighton Johnson has issued a call for increased security mechanisms in schools across the island.
His call follows Tuesday's incident at Black River High School in St. Elizabeth.
Sometime after 10:30 a.m., a group of students got into a brawl on the school compound.
It's reported that one of the students left and returned with a group of men from the nearby New Town community.
The men were prevented from entering the facility by security personnel.
They began stoning the school, causing panic and forcing frightened students to run for cover.
The police have since launched a search for the men involved.
In light of this incident, Mr. Johnson has expressed concern about the violent conflicts between students in schools.
"These confrontations not only disrupt the activities of a school day, but they also disrupt the harmony of teaching and learning within our schools. We continue to ask for the necessary mechanisms to be implemented in our schools to improve the safety and security of all stakeholders," he demanded.
The JTA president suggested the need for security cameras, additional school resource officers at institutions with a "higher propensity of violent flare-up" as well as perimeter fencing and expansion of the deans of discipline framework to all our schools.
He also urged school administrators and boards to act decisively in dealing with students who persistently carry out violent acts against each other.
He stressed the importance of making schools safe spaces, free from fear and threats of violence.
Additionally, the JTA president has urged the Ministry of Education to fast track the character value based education curriculum.
The curriculum emphasises life skills such as peace, tolerance, respect for self, life, others and property.
He said this implementation must take a multisectoral approach, with the involvement of agencies such as the probation's office, Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), justice centres, and child diversion centres.
"Of course, we continue to ask that additional social workers be assigned to our regional offices to be deployed in our schools and there has to be the reduction of the ratio of guidance counsellors so that more guidance counsellors can be employed in our schools," Mr. Johnson added.
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