The parents of students attending the North George-town Secondary School staged a protest yesterday in a bid to win better security at the institution.
In the wake of an incident on Wednesday where a trio of young men entered the school compound and threatened a student with a gun, some parents kept their children from classes and turned out to press for a safer environment.
By afternoon, a delegation from the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) met with Ministry of Education officials, and while assurances were given there was no formal commitment on the issue.
Afterward, PTA Treasurer Rev. Alphonso Porter told Stabroek News that “the only thing that really came out of that meeting was the people that went into it.” He explained that a meeting was held with the Principal Education Officer for Region 4, Nashrullah Khan, who explained that only the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry could release funding to restore the school’s fences and to provide additional security. Porter said the PTA delegation was told that while it might be easy to have an additional security guard placed at the institution, no formal commitment was given much to his chagrin. “We want action!” he said, as he noted that violence continues to escalate in the city, “This is a fatality waiting to happen.” Based on the assurances that were given at the meeting, Porter said the PTA would meet again to decide on future action.
Although many parents kept their children at home, some students did turn up for classes, including Fifth Formers completing School Based Assessments for CSEC. Classes at the institution were suspended during the day, although officials from the Ministry of Education visited and after meeting with the school head instructed teachers to resume teaching.
On Wednesday a week-old altercation between outsiders and students escalated when three young men (including one wearing a uniform for a technical/vocational institution) entered the compound and drew a gun on a student in the presence of others. A report of the incident quickly reached the school head, the police were called in and the men were arrested. A chopper and a toy gun were among the items that were found in their possession.
The trio entered the compound in search of a student who had made a comment about them after they assaulted a schoolmate on the premises.
The incident has left parents afraid for their children’s safety and teachers have also expressed concern.
