Education minister condemns violent, anti-social behaviour in schools and the wider society

Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams is appealing to the education sector to double the efforts to curb anti-social and maladaptive behaviour by some students, parents and other stakeholders.

In a statement today, Williams said the ministry is very concerned with videos being circulated on social media from time to time depicting students being very aggressive with each other to the point of starting fights, cursing, smoking and speaking about the genitalia of others, among other highly undesirable behaviour.

“Most recently, a video surfaced showing the President of a Parent Teachers Association (PTA) of one of our schools in a violent confrontation with a student. This is unacceptable and should not be condoned,” said the minister.

“The ministry condemns all instances of violence and coarse behaviour among our children. There is no place in our society for what we have been witnessing in these videos. We should not tolerate adults speaking to students or their children in a vile manner or physically abusing them.  Equally, we should condemn students who are disrespectful to teachers, their parents or guardians, fellow students and other persons.”

She said the videos highlight the need for a radical shift in creating respectful relationships between teachers-and-students, parents-and-children, students-and-students and “with others with whom we interact during the course of any day”.

“Our teachers are being given additional training and the tools to de-escalate situations they may confront in the classrooms. Our students have to be taught respect for their teachers, other adults and their peers.  The introduction of restorative justice sessions into the education system is a new tool to help our students, teachers and school administrators deal with resolution of conflict situations,” she added.

The minister is also urging negligent parents to remember their responsibilities for their children and for schools to utilise the ministry's training for guidance counsellors, deans of discipline and for all teachers to become familiar with restorative justice and other tools that will help them to anticipate negative emotions and not be baited into arguments or unprofessional conduct.

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