— Minister Henry visits Linden schools with latest incidence of violence

THE Ministry of Education (MoE) is sending a strong message, that, in no way acts of violence and indiscipline behaviour that have been on the upsurge in schools across the nation, will be tolerated. Perpetrators of such acts, will face the full penalty, as schools should not be war zones but safe havens for both teachers and learners.

This was reiterated on Friday, during a MoE team visit to Linden schools, where recent acts of violence had occurred; the latest being a stabbing incident on Thursday afternoon, leaving one student critical.

The team was led by Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, who stressed that school violence has been an ongoing concern in Guyana and, to tackle the situation, more than a single approach was needed, at all levels.

Since it is not acceptable for any child to bully, threaten or attack another, there is need to tackle the issue with a level of urgency. The incident of the stabbing was equally shocking to her as it was for everyone else, the Minister said.

The ministry will continue to roll out efforts on a national scale, to strategise a comprehensive approach to tackle interpersonal violence in schools.
“We have recognised that addressing the problem of violence requires comprehensive reform of the education system and that is exactly what we are doing and it really requires in essence, having all hands on deck. The adage, it takes the village to raise a child, is very practical and remains relevant to the work we are doing here in the education system,” the minister posited to students and teachers of the Linden Foundation Secondary School (LFSS).

PARENTS, FIRST TEACHERS
She urged parents to see themselves as the first teachers and to play their role in disciplining their children since there seems to be a break down in this regard.
“I recognise on many levels that there is a breakdown of discipline in what is expected and required from various stakeholders,” Henry said.

With the ministry phasing out corporal punishment and replacing same with positive disciplining techniques to meet global education system standards, there is therefore need for a non-violent approach to discipline and conflict resolution. The welfare department of the MoE will lend the necessary support, through guidance sessions and counselling to students, parents and teachers, in its continuous bid to end violence in schools.

During the session at the LFSS, Guidance and Counselling Officer, Wendy Collins, shared two exercises with the students: breathing and self-talk, which she explained will assist them, when anger and resentment are getting the best of them in violent situations.
School’s Chief Welfare Officer, Gillian Vhypius told the children that violence is not the way out of a situation and, going forward, students will be engaged in sessions where they will learn other positive ways to resolve conflict.

She urged the students to seek intervention from a teacher, prefect or another trusted adult, where they will be able to express themselves through meaningful dialogue.
“You cannot take it upon yourself to fight and then you are fighting with weapons, you’re not supposed to come to school with weapons. If there is an issue, you seek intervention from an adult,” Vhypius said as she encouraged the students to not instigate violence since schools should be a safe haven.

Counselling sessions will be provided for the students and teachers who witnessed the incident on Thursday.

WORK OVERTIME
Regional Education Officer, Rabindra Singh, said the department is ready to work overtime to ensure schools in the region are safe and children are benefitting from the necessary assistance through the welfare department.
He, along with the headteacher of LFSS, Varlene Pitt, expressed disappointment with respect to the incident, especially since the school had been making positive strides, both in academics and extra-curricular activities.

Minister Henry and her team visited two other schools in Linden, where students were also attacked during fights. At the Linden Technical Institute (LTI), she met with staff members and urged them to be more vigilant since such incidence will be dealt with condignly. Despite it being a tertiary institution, the REO said there was need for the social programmes to be rolled out at the secondary level to also benefit the tertiary level students, in an effort to curb the indiscipline in those institutions. The team called for more soft skills such as how to love and to exercise tolerance, to be incorporated in the institution’s curriculum.

The team also visited the victims who were stabbed and chopped at the Linden Hospital Complex. The 15- year old student is presently warded in the Intensive Care Unit and her condition has been determined to be critical but stable. Following the stabbing incident, she was rushed to the hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. It took doctors five hours to remove the Rambo knife that was lodged in her lower back. Public Relations Officer of the LHC, Toshanna Allicock, related that the organs damaged included her spleen, diaphragm, lung and stomach. Muscles and tendons were also damaged.

STUDENTS ARRESTED
The two sisters, ages 13 and 15, who were involved in the fight, were taken into police custody on Friday morning and were assisting with investigations up to Friday evening. Commander of Region 10, Hugh Winter, related that the children were questioned in the presence of a welfare officer, both of their parents and officer in charge of juvenile cases, as stipulated by the Juvenile Act, which was passed in 2018. Winter said that the younger sister who did not commit the stabbing, is likely to be sent home while the older one is likely to be detained but police are monitoring the condition of the victim.

For charges to be laid, Winter said advice will have to be sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions. Police are taking key evidence from the video footage circulated as they compile the file. The video showed the victim and the younger sister engaged in a physical fight and while the victim was backing the older sister, she took a Rambo knife from her bag and stabbed the victim in the lower back. The spectators, consisting of mostly students, then began to scatter as the victim, who was collapsing, sought assistance to go to the hospital.

The new Juvenile Justice Act that was passed in the National Assembly in 2018, holds young offenders accountable for criminal offences, but aims to protect them from harm. The new age of criminal liability is 14 years.