THE stabbing death of Anfernee Bowman, on Monday, which occurred outside the premises where he took extra lessons, should have never occurred. In my interaction with friends of both of the young men, the deceased and the killer, it was related that the latter was in the habit of making death threats to the now deceased.
The incident has caused me to pen this letter because of the many spin-offs such an incident has for school aged children. It also spells clearly the need for private educational institutions to understand that their role and existence is more than just making money; they must see to it that the interest of both teachers and students are top priority.
While the Ministry of Education’s aim to regularise these private educational institutions may not be something that happens as fast as we may want to see, the incident on Monday February 27, surely underscores the need for the regulation to be in place.
The regulation of these institutions should not just be aimed at keeping these schools in line as it relates to curriculum, but must also spell out the procedure that will need to be followed when certain issues occurs within the walls of these schools.
While it may not be a secret that some private schools do produce good grades at examinations, and are responsible for a few high flyers at CSEC, one cannot shy away from the fact that many of these schools tend to gauge their attention more towards the income that amounts to hundreds of thousands monthly. The sad reality is, however, that the latter focus is done at the expense of the well-being of the students, and in some cases, teachers.
There are too many incidents that occur within the walls of some private education institutions and which some directors and heads are at pains to keep within those walls, even if those occurrences tend to be criminal in nature.
The reason for that is simple; no one wants to bring their dirty linen to the gate for all to see.
Private education institutions need to immediately report to the police criminal acts by students or teachers, and in some cases, outsiders, especially if the actions of the latter are aimed at those attached to the institution. These range from child abuse, threatening language, abuse of teachers, gang fights and the other common cases that requires the law to intervene.
It is understandable that there are issues that can be dealt with at the level of the school, but these must not be confused with the issues that threaten the well-being of the students.