EDUCATION Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine has expressed grave concern about a recent brawl between two city secondary school students at the commencement of the new school year. He has, accordingly, reiterated the call for counselling to be a feature in schools.A 13-year-old of St. George’s Secondary and one of Queenstown Secondary were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital on Monday last after brawling on Church Street in Georgetown. The conflict reportedly originated from an ongoing disagreement between them since their days in primary school.

According to one, when he went home during his lunch break, his mother ordered him to take lunch for his sister, who attends St. George’s Secondary. Upon leaving the school’s premises, the other child attacked him and he retaliated by stabbing him with a bottle.As it turned out, each party blamed the other for starting the fight.

Said the minister, “It [was] very disturbing when we [Ministry of Education] got that report. I was very distressed. What we have to do is improve counselling in schools, and pay more attention to children and their problems; and take a more humane approach to discipline.”

Asked about the availability of counsellors in schools, Dr Roopnaraine, who is thoroughly against corporal punishment, said: “Those things take time; call for a lot of attitudinal changes, not only among teachers, but among parents also.”

Since assuming office, Dr. Roopnaraine has been keen on reintroducing counselling in schools countrywide to aid in situations like this, and also in reducing the number of school dropouts.

By Shivanie Sugrim