NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President Belinda Wilson yesterday called for the redoubling of efforts to put police officers back on school grounds.
Wilson’s comments come amid increased calls from parents and guardians of Government High School (GHS) students for increased police presence and additional security measures after the fatal stabbing of one student, and the injury of another, on the school’s campus on Tuesday.
She outlined several avenues the government must take to address violence in schools and ensure safety.
“It is necessary for us to demand that the Ministry of Education redouble its efforts to put the police back in the schools, to provide the human and financial resources needed to strengthen the security officers at schools, to train and retrain security officers, to install cameras on school campuses in common areas that are not immediately in the view of the security officers booth [and] purchase metal detectors,” Wilson said.
She said the ministry must also revise policies to meet the safety needs of each school.
To accomplish this, parents, teachers, community leaders and other stakeholders must be engaged to devise a national comprehensive safety plan for schools, Wilson added.
Kenm Paul, a 15-year-old GHS student in the 11th grade, was stabbed to death in the corridor of the school campus, and another male student was also stabbed, following an altercation with two other two students during their lunch break.
Between 200 and 300 grade 11 students were on the campus to sit exams.
After the incident, concerned parents and guardians gathered outside the school’s campus and questioned how this could have taken place, urging the government to take serious measures.
Wilson yesterday further urged parents and guardians to talk with their children, find out who their friends are and get involved in school activities.
She added: “To the Ministry of Education and the minister of education, violence has plagued our schools for too many years. The time for talking is over. Action is needed now to address violence in our schools.”
Following the matter, Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd said while the incident was deeply saddening, schools in The Bahamas are safe for students.
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