JAMAICA | PNP wants meeting with Education Minister to discuss school violence solution

Dear Minister,

I am writing to you in my capacity as the Opposition Spokesperson for Education but, more importantly, as a concerned citizen of Jamaica. Madam Minister, I write to you with deep concern over the escalating violence among students within our schools. Despite repeated calls for action and numerous recommendations put forward by the Opposition, we have witnessed a distressing lack of effective response from the government.

In our previous statements, we have highlighted the alarming trend of violence within schools and emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address the root causes of this issue. We have identified various risk factors contributing to this violence, including individual, relationship, community/societal, and school-related factors.

It is deeply troubling that despite our efforts to engage in constructive dialogue and provide viable solutions, the government has generally ignored these efforts. The lack of progress in implementing concrete solutions is unfortunate and poses a grave risk to the safety and well-being of our children.

We reiterate our proposals for urgent consideration by the government and relevant stakeholders and call on you, Madam Minister, to convene a meeting with both our teams to search for solutions.

Once again, our recommendations are as follows:

1. Establishment of departments of socialisation in all public schools, led by guidance counsellors and staffed by trained form teachers.
2. Ensuring adequate adult supervision during non-class interactions, particularly during lunchtimes and after school.
3. Engaging the police force to implement after-school mobile patrols in school areas.
4. Rethinking the role and remuneration of form teachers to incentivise their commitment to student well-being.
5. Providing comprehensive training for educators in behaviour modification and intervention strategies.
6. Increasing the number of deans of discipline and guidance counsellors to improve student support services.
7. Implementing staggered lunch and dismissal times to enhance supervision and reduce risk.
8. Revising detention practices to focus on long-term intervention and peace education.
9. Offering special summer programs for students prone to violence.
10. Equipping schools with closed-circuit cameras for enhanced security.
11. Adopting a zero-tolerance approach to violence and promoting positive behaviour.
12. Rewarding good behaviour and encouraging community involvement.
13. Exploring the establishment of reform boarding schools and increasing mental health support.
14. Creating a department of volunteerism to engage community mentors.
15. Organising weekend peace education programs involving parents and guardians.
16. Implementing a big brother/sister program to support at-risk students.
17. Promoting school attachment through cultural activities and values education.

We urge you, Minister, to prioritise the safety and well-being of our students by taking immediate action on these recommendations. It is imperative that we work together to create a safe and nurturing environment for all students to thrive.

Sincerely,

Senator Damion Crawford