Seven-y-o killed by school's goalpost

Tragedy struck at the Coke View Primary School in Westmoreland yesterday as seven-year-old Nicholas Hamilton, a grade-one student, was killed when a goalpost fell on him.

The goalpost reportedly fell on the little boy while it was being lifted by other students during a play session during lunch hour.

Hamilton was rushed to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Ministry of Education said it was shocked and saddened by the death of the child.

In a release, the ministry expressed its condolences to Hamilton's family, as well as the school and community.

"A critical response team from the Guidance and Counselling Unit of the ministry has been mobilised to offer counselling to students and staff of Coke View Primary and Nicholas' family," the release stated.

"The Ministry of Education wants to use this opportunity to remind school principals of a bulletin sent out in October 2008 which stated, inter alia, that schools should do audits every term to ensure there are no hazardous substances/materials or safety concerns in the school environment, and where such threats exist, to have them removed in accordance with the established guidelines."

The ministry also reminded school leaders that security and safety must be treated as function of management and that there should be a concerted and continual effort to ensure such institutions are safe.