There are many layers to the challenge of violence in schools, and it will take the efforts of everyone working together in a ‘whole-of-country’ approach to overcome.
Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Kay McConney, stated this in a recorded address to the nation, over the weekend.
Noting that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, she said her Ministry recognises that partnership with the village is crucial, and more support is needed to provide children, teachers, and parents with the support they need.
“There is concern about violent acts which have happened in some of our schools recently. Members of the public are feeling worried for the safety of our children and worried about violent behaviour in the wider society that is making its way into the school environment,” she stated.
According to Minister McConney, children live what they learn and they bring to school some of what they learn even outside of school – the good and the bad.
She added that while school must first and foremost focus on delivering quality education that caters to all, the Ministry cannot get away in these times from being increasingly vigilant, and placing greater emphasis on safety and security.
She said weapons do not belong in the hands of children, but revealed that there are instances where children admitted that they were encouraged by an adult to carry a knife or a scissors to school for protection.
The Education Minister further stated that fighting must not be the first option for resolving conflict, simply because some of children have not yet learnt how to cope when they get angry. As a result, a boiling point has been reached, where bad behaviour is bubbling over into learning time, creating far too many disruptions at the primary and secondary levels.
She disclosed that the Ministry of Education had partnered with others over the last four to five years to ‘ramp up’ the number of qualified persons in the Ministry’s Student Services Unit, which deals with psychological and social support to students, parents, teachers, and guardians.
“What we did is, we have recognised it is not just about dealing with violent behaviour at the beginning, but it is also about us giving the necessary support as our students seek to cope… The many layers that education touches means that we must continue to work collaboratively with each other in what I call an ‘all-as-one’ effort,” she said.
Ms. McConney mentioned that some strong school leaders/principals have taken a firm stance on discipline and have been able to rein in bad behaviour and successfully manage the level of disruptive incidents at their schools. She added that the same effort needs to be replicated across the [school] system.
In reference to numbers received from within the Ministry, she said less than one per cent of the total school population, approximately 300 plus children, in a school system that has just below 40,000, nearly 37,000, are the ones giving trouble. Minister McConney added that while this percentage may seem relatively small, it is still too much.
She pointed out that while every secondary school has some form of security, it needs to be strengthened not only in the numbers of the security personnel, but in proper planning, risk management, training in best practices, and in the use of appropriate equipment suited for school environments.
Similarly, in primary, nursery and special education schools, a security audit conducted by the Ministry showed that just over half have an appropriate level of security in personnel, cameras, systems of practice and equipment.
While admitting that there is much work that needs to be done regarding the physical security of schools, Ms. McConney said the Ministry had conducted security audits of schools and a draft National School Security and Safety Policy had been prepared and was now being finalised, thanks to the support of a wide-ranging coalition of partners.
This coalition comprises representatives from the Barbados Defence Force, The Barbados Police Service, the Defence and Security Division, the Barbados Fire Service, the unions associated with the school system, the National Student Council, the National Council of Parent Teacher Associations, and the Ministry of Education.