A frustrated woman is calling for an improvement in the system set up to deal with violence in schools, after her 10-year-old daughter was attacked by a classmate who was armed with a compass.
The child who attends the FE Pollard Primary School in Kitty managed to escape unarmed after using her umbrella to shield herself from the sharp object.
The Ministry of Edu-cation’s Welfare Department, Stabroek News understands, has since launched an investigation into the incident which occurred last week Friday.
Contacted, Chief Education Officer Olato Sam said he was unaware of the incident and will have to look into it.
The parent, who did not want her name mentioned, said that it was only after she threatened to take the issue to the press that the school and the Welfare Department acted.
She recalled that her daughter and a boy in her class had an issue which started with the boy throwing tamarind seeds at her child. The woman said that her child objected and was hit by the boy.
The woman recalled that her daughter called her crying and she later asked the child’s grandfather to visit the school to assess the situation. The grandfather did so.
According to the woman, after a complaint was lodged the boy was dealt a few lashes and sent back to his class.
She said that when school ended at three o’ clock that day, the boy who had apparently borrowed the mathematical instrument which has a very sharp point was waiting outside for her daughter. According to the woman, as her daughter approached he removed it from his boot and began his attack. “He didn’t get to stab her.
He ended up stabbing up the umbrella,” the terrified woman told Stabroek News as she recalled how the umbrella was left with holes.
The woman said that since there was no one at the school with whom she could lodge a complaint, she reported the matter at the Kitty Police Station.
She said she visited the school on Monday and when the boy saw her and her daughter he ran away. The following day she lodged a complaint with the ministry.
The woman said that based on what she was told that child resides with his grandmother as his parents are overseas.
She said that at the address that was given no one knew him to be living there and calls to the telephone numbers provided went unanswered.
The school was apparently told to inform the ministry once the child returned but this was apparently not done.
She said that yesterday morning she called the ministry with the information that the child was in school. According to the woman, the man who took the call started arguing with her about why she was making such a big deal out of the issue when her child did not sustain any injury.
The woman said that during a conversation with the headmistress, she had indicated that since she was not getting satisfaction she was going to take the matter to the press. Later she was informed that the boy and his grandmother were at the Welfare Department.
“Just imagine I had to threaten them before they could act… They need to bring back corporal punishment. Most of these children are out of hand and the teachers cannot discipline them,” she stressed adding that she just wants to highlight how the school and the welfare failed to act quickly.
“I want a thorough investigation. Now people got to be scared to send their children to school. It seems like only you can protect your children. The system was too slow and I got frustrated,” she said.
Within recent times there have been several cases of school violence, a few of which ended tragically. Last month, a scissors was left lodged in the head of a student of the Patentia Secondary after it was pelted at him by another student.
