Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Thursday stated that harsher penalties will be examined for students guilty of attacking teachers.
This disclosure came in light of the protest by teachers from Linden, who took the streets of the town on Tuesday to make their frustrations known as a result of the violence and blatant disrespect meted out to them at the hand of their students.
Teachers of the Wisburg Secondary School in Linden, who led the protest, congregated in front of the school before beginning their march to Amelia’s Ward and then to the Wisroc Bus Park, were joined by teachers from all other schools in Linden, who turned out to show their support.
One teacher in particular said that though displeasure at the growing delinquency and misbehavior of students had existed for some time, the events which took place at the school on February 4 were “the last straw.”
Last month, Michelle Richards, a 25-year-old teacher at the Wisburg Secondary School, was rushed to the Mackenzie Hospital after a falling table top fractured her skull. The incident was reportedly orchestrated by the fourth form students because of past altercations with the teacher.
As the teachers contemplate their next step on the road to achieving “justice and respect,” Manickchand on Thursday said she and the Education Ministry are in full support of their cause.
Manickchand, offering a firm position on the issue, said that the government is fully behind the teachers on the issue and will work to ensure that teachers get the respect that they deserve, and that the persons responsible for attacks against them are punished. She said that the ministry is considering revising existing legislation so as to enact harsher punishment for students who commit these acts.
“We will have to review our own position and take strong action,” Manickchand said.
As a testament to how far the ministry is willing to go to punish such reprehensible behavior, the Minister said, the possibility of calling in the police and having children who orchestrate such acts sentenced to the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) will be examined. She said that additional options include suspension and expulsion, depending on the severity of the act.
Manickchand noted that the matter is indeed a serious one and that apart from punishment, there is an urgent need to curb and prevent such occurrences. Considering the fact that much of what children portray is learned in the home, the minister said that every home would have to reassess itself to determine what is being done wrong. She said that while children have rights, they must also be taught that they have responsibilities and must be taught to respect their teachers.
Manickchand said that the ministry will have to embark on a campaign to partner with parents so that such issues can be dealt with comprehensively.
