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02-28-08, - 03:05 PM
By KRYSTEL ROLLE, Guardian Staff Reporter. krystel@nasguard.com
The Ministry of Education is reviewing short-term measures to beef up security at government schools in New Providence and Grand Bahama, officials announced yesterday.
The move comes in the face of a string of violent episodes on public school campuses — some of which have been fatal — and a public outcry for action to stem what appears to be a troubling trend.
The ministry said it would consider issuing batons to all security officers at public schools; installing security cameras in senior high schools; evaluating current security personnel in the schools; and employing an additional 58 security officers for high schools in New Providence and Grand Bahama.
In addition, an evaluative meeting with principals, other administrators and officials from the Bahamas Union of Teachers is planned, to assess further measures for intervention and rehabilitation for the public school system.
Yesterday, the Minister of Education and other senior education officers expressed their regret at the continued episodes of school violence "perpetrated by an aggressive minority in and around our schools, which disrupts teaching and learning and the lives of both teachers and the thousands of earnest and mannerly students."
Already three students have been murdered for the academic year and numerous others have been injured in school fights.
Earlier this month, Jamile Wilchcombe of C.V. Bethel High School was stabbed to death just yards away from the school's campus. Less than two weeks earlier, 17-year-old Ricko Farrington of C.C. Sweeting High School was stabbed to death, allegedly by another student during a school break. And 18-year-old C. R. Walker High School student DeAngelo Cargill died in January after he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting on Bay Street.
In addition, there have been 13 reported school-related stabbings — three in one day at different government schools — since the beginning of the school year in September 2007, with the most recent incident taking place on Tuesday afternoon.
A 12th-grader from Government High School was stabbed in his abdomen while on campus around 1:30 p.m., allegedly by another student. The 17-year-old was last night listed in stable condition in hospital.
Prior to the incident on Tuesday, the Ministry of Education had issued two hand-held metal detectors to that school and at several other schools in New Providence.
"Notwithstanding the improvements to security and random screening, a knife was brought to the campus and this unfortunate incident occurred," said the statement.
Meantime, Bahamas Against Crime Chairman Rev. C.B. Moss said he was pleased with the steps that the Ministry was taking, but added that it was not the answer to school violence.
"We must change the mindset of people; until that happens I suppose we have to use these protective measures. But that is not sustainable," he said.
"I do appreciate that whatever is done can only tighten the security net, but it does not represent the solution."
Moss said crime and violence in the schools was not the problem but is the manifestation of the problem. He called on Bahamians to "get involved".
"We must all step up to plate and until that is done we will not see long-term results," said Moss.
The Ministry of Education is reviewing short-term measures to beef up security at government schools in New Providence and Grand Bahama, officials announced yesterday.
The move comes in the face of a string of violent episodes on public school campuses — some of which have been fatal — and a public outcry for action to stem what appears to be a troubling trend.
The ministry said it would consider issuing batons to all security officers at public schools; installing security cameras in senior high schools; evaluating current security personnel in the schools; and employing an additional 58 security officers for high schools in New Providence and Grand Bahama.
In addition, an evaluative meeting with principals, other administrators and officials from the Bahamas Union of Teachers is planned, to assess further measures for intervention and rehabilitation for the public school system.
Yesterday, the Minister of Education and other senior education officers expressed their regret at the continued episodes of school violence "perpetrated by an aggressive minority in and around our schools, which disrupts teaching and learning and the lives of both teachers and the thousands of earnest and mannerly students."
Already three students have been murdered for the academic year and numerous others have been injured in school fights.
Earlier this month, Jamile Wilchcombe of C.V. Bethel High School was stabbed to death just yards away from the school's campus. Less than two weeks earlier, 17-year-old Ricko Farrington of C.C. Sweeting High School was stabbed to death, allegedly by another student during a school break. And 18-year-old C. R. Walker High School student DeAngelo Cargill died in January after he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting on Bay Street.
In addition, there have been 13 reported school-related stabbings — three in one day at different government schools — since the beginning of the school year in September 2007, with the most recent incident taking place on Tuesday afternoon.
A 12th-grader from Government High School was stabbed in his abdomen while on campus around 1:30 p.m., allegedly by another student. The 17-year-old was last night listed in stable condition in hospital.
Prior to the incident on Tuesday, the Ministry of Education had issued two hand-held metal detectors to that school and at several other schools in New Providence.
"Notwithstanding the improvements to security and random screening, a knife was brought to the campus and this unfortunate incident occurred," said the statement.
Meantime, Bahamas Against Crime Chairman Rev. C.B. Moss said he was pleased with the steps that the Ministry was taking, but added that it was not the answer to school violence.
"We must change the mindset of people; until that happens I suppose we have to use these protective measures. But that is not sustainable," he said.
"I do appreciate that whatever is done can only tighten the security net, but it does not represent the solution."
Moss said crime and violence in the schools was not the problem but is the manifestation of the problem. He called on Bahamians to "get involved".
"We must all step up to plate and until that is done we will not see long-term results," said Moss.