Report being prepared on Kemps Hill High fight between student and dean of discipline

Barrington Richardson, regional director for region seven within the Ministry of Education, has described a video of a fight between a student and the dean of discipline at Kemps Hill High in Clarendon as most unfortunate.

He said efforts are under way to get a detailed report regarding the circumstances of the incident.

The 30-second video, which has been making the rounds on social media, shows a male student pushing the dean of discipline, while instructing the dean not to touch him. The two end up in a tussle and fall to the ground. The video shows a  man who appears to be a security guard attempting to quell the fight.

The Gleaner understands that the incident happened on Tuesday.

The Gleaner contacted the school's principal, Karen Charlton-Boothe who declined to comment on the incident. Clover Morrison, the school's chairman also said he had no comment.

Meanwhile, Richardson, the regional director, says he is taken aback by the incident, stating that Kemps Hill High had been making stellar progress over the years, under the School-wide Positive Behaviour Intervention and Support (SWPBIS) initiative.

SWPBIS is an Education Ministry-led programme geared towards responding to incidents of violent conflict among students, particularly in secondary schools, with a goal of creating and sustaining safe schools.

"They are a school that has been doing very well. They have their jingles, their murals, et cetera, and so, we find this to be an anomaly based on what we have seen in terms of the progress and behaviour management at the school. So we have taken very keen interest, because something must have happened that would have triggered that kind of response," Richardson told The Gleaner.

Richardson emphasised that such incidents are always unsettling for educators, adding that schools should be safe spaces for all stakeholders.

"We want to engender a culture of order and discipline, and mutual respect, and when we see these kinds of behaviour, it causes us to reflect on what else can we do, as we try to create a safe space for our students and our teachers," Richardson added.

He disclosed that the school board will meet on Friday, "to have the matter fully ventilated."

-Olivia Brown

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