Principal of the North East Comprehensive School (NECS) Chandler Hyacinth has reported that a student, now in police custody, was out on suspension when he allegedly attacked another student of that school on Tuesday.
In a report to senior officials of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development Mrs. Hyacinth said the alleged incident occurred “about 1:45 p.m., while several students were along the Londonderry Road, awaiting transportation for home.”
According to Mrs. Hyacinth, teachers rushed to assist the injured boy, a 4th former of Concord, and accompanied him to the Marigot Hospital for treatment. He was later sent to the Princess Margaret Hospital for an X-ray and was discharged on Tuesday evening after doctors found his injuries to be surface wounds. He returned to school on Wednesday.
The other student, a 4th former from Wesley who fled the scene, was later arrested by police.
“He has been out on suspension and was supposed to return with his parents.” Hyacinth stated.
The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development will review the report and the appropriate action will be taken.
Senior education officials held a meeting with parents and students of the NECS last week. The meeting formed part of ongoing consultations at all secondary schools with students identified as repeat offenders and their parents.
They were told that the ministry has adopted a zero tolerance approach to violence in schools and will expel students who engage in anti-social behaviour.
Officials also began a series of 12 anger management sessions with a group of students at the NECS last week, an initiative which is expected to continue in all secondary schools in Dominica.
The sessions at the NECS are facilitated by School Psychologist Melina Fontaine, Guidance Counsellor for the North, Elma Williams and Guidance Counsellor at the NECS, Kathleen Telemaque.
The ministry has also developed an action plan to address the issue of anti-social behaviour among students at all secondary schools. Security arrangements are under review and officials are moving to educate teachers about their rights and responsibilities in relation to behaviour management and student discipline according to the Education Act of 1997.
There are also plans to review and revise school management and increase school and classroom supervision.
The ministry is also hoping that full implementation of Child Friendly Schools (CFS) principles in all schools by 2015 will result in decreases in behaviour problems, violence at schools, suspensions, expulsions and drop-outs.
Earlier this month, the ministry joined forces with the Inter-denominational Committee on Crime and Violence (IDCCV) to tackle the problem of anti-social behaviour in Dominica.
Education officials met with the executive of the IDCCV to discuss an inter-sectoral approach to crime and violence and will convene a follow-up meeting next month to further discuss the implementation of measures proposed in the action plan.
It is time these children get the message that if you participate in these actions you will go to jail. If it was an adult he would be facing an attempted murder,gbh or wounding with a deadly weapon. Some of us like to excuse these behaviours but history has shown us that they repeat these acts. These magistrates n lawyers that believe in all these second chances i just hope when it hits home they wil still feel that way because jesus saves but criminals withdraw
I really hope that the Ministry will handle this situation properly.
To many times these ‘children’ get away with too much. They do what they do because they know that even if the principal and staff want to discipline them for their malicious acts the Ministry will just give them a slap on the wrist and bring them back into the school system. Their behaviour clearly shows that they do not want to be at school. They only come because they are forced to by their parents who want them out of their way.
We need to pray for our children.
Lord have mercy on us all.
WHEN WILL WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NO MONEY IN DOMINICA TO DO THE EXTRA THINGS SO MANY SUGGEST WHICH ARE GREAT IDEAS. Boot Camp, let all the former US Army soldiers who are here run it.
We need a juvenile prison where these kind of kids can be locked up while still receiving an education.
AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh now we talking…..
people rarely place much value on the things they know they cannot lose….
when these adolesents realise that they can LOSE their education then
THEY WILL PLACE GREATER VALUE ON IT…
let those who want to learn move on, and those who take their education for granted move OUT…
also put proper channels in place in these schools to address conflict resolution…..
this is how we nip this thing in the bud..
So very true.
Everyone should be thought the lesson that, “there are consequences for their actions and that they must be prepared to face those consequences”. I am in total agreement that we should have no tolerance for violence in school against teachers and/or students.
I am also very excited about the initiatives being taken by the Ministry of Education to assist/educate teacher, parents and students in an attempt to create a positive learning environment for the majority of our students who are excited to learn.
As for the repeat offenders, it look like the Ministry will come up with an appropriate plan/course of action to deal with the handful of them. At the end of the day, the students and the parents of those students must recognize that there are CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR ACTIONS…Although we have to do all that we can to save an individual, at the end of the day, that decision MUST come from the individual. It seems that the Ministry will put things in place to assist those individuals with their decisions in order to create a better learning environment for our students and a great teaching environment for our teacher, which will in turn lead to a much more productive society.
Remember: CONSEQUENCES……
One Love Dominicans..I AM DOMINICA! ARE YOU?
whatever is going on in these school is a reflection of society. What is being done by the powers that be to deal with social issues and the drastic decline in family values? Many of these folks come from areas around the country where there is a sense of broken dreams and a culture of low expectations. Unless programs are put in place to deal with all the social ills plaguing this country.. well sad to say.. there will be just a jail on the hill filled with the future of Dominica. The entire Nation need to wake up! Government, Opposition and those in Authority come together for the development of country.. All for each and each for all!
Expel him and see that he does not put his feet in another school. We have to make examples of those students. To date we have not heard the outcome of the two incidences at DGS. If we cntinue this to happen Dominicas youth are doomed.
Think of a more positive plan. Expelling them from school is going to create worse problem for society.
create a part of cadet corp where they do mandatory community service and learn a vocation till they are 18yrs, that will give them some character and teach them some discipline lil wanna be gangsters.
The Min. need to get real counsellors.
Most of them do not seem to know what they are about.
On suspension….!!!! and NOT expelled…my my my
Please read carefully!
Chandler Hyacinth has reported that a student, now in police custody, was out on suspension when he allegedly attacked another student of that school on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development will review the report and the appropriate action will be taken.
The matter has not yet been dealt with.
This is children of parents who were born in the 60s and 70s..This was the pot smoking generation.Alot of this kids are unstable because they came to this earth while the parents was high on maybe both Ganga and alcohal.this 60s and 70s generation continue doing the same thing infront of the kids even going to adult functions them.What do u expect?Some of the teachers are no example because they behave even worse.could go on and on but I am part of it to.Do not expect better from the children because of how we as adults conduct ourself.
DNO…please take note.
This is one of several attempts to post;
I need to express my concern on the crisis on the island and for some reason I am being profiled.
You need to say why.You too like all those articulate and vain people in society who like to know how they sound but dont seem to care of how sound they are
….very articulate with many words, definitions and initials but simply going around in circles; you must know that children see through the fake and cant say it so they pass the rage one another,
Let’s have an open and honest discussion for the sake of building peace and progress.
Avoid the exclusive clubs in this small society and dont stifle free speech.
DNO
thank you
there needs to be an effort at self examination of all the people and leaders to arrive at the causes, effect and solutions to this crisis.
We alone can save ourselves; but that is if we want to.
Otherwise it just seems that some are armed with words, definitions and initials….very articulate while we keep loosing our way.
We are far from the essence of true life.
We are all about how we sound and not how sound we are. As a result our children are buried in the vainity of false proclamations and pretensions.
They see through us and dont know how to say it so they play it out on one another.
I am wondering if I can even say .”GET REAL”
We have to engage the students who get involve in deviant behaviour. The response must not be designed for the ”good kids” but also the ”troubled kids”. We have to interact with them to find out what’s motivating them to behave in violent and, generally, unacceptable behaviour and reach out to them to help them overcome the challenges in their young lives. It is wihtout doubt that the education system as currently structured is failing many of our men. We need to find creative ways to meet their needs, including placing heightened emphaisis on basic numeracy and literacy and technical and vocational learning. The heavy bias in favour of pure academics are leaving many young persons behind and this is frustrating them. Speak to the troubled boy or girl. They are crying out for help. They are part of the solution.
When the schools give children letters to take home 4 their parents then need to call the parents and inform them that they have sent home their child, reasons and how long they should be home for. That parent now should make proper arrangement for their child when they are home from school.
Eradicate those rhinoceros fesses from society.It is quite obvious those Juveniles does not want to better themselves.
What the law and their parents needs to do in order to clearing the mess up is very simple. I suggest they should all be sent to a pig sty to shovel as a form of hard labour.or even better to Iraq.
That will teach them.
Wow. I can’t believe I just read this. As a teacher myself I know what it’s like to have students like this but we need a proper juvenile house in Dominica. I actually thought that was what the rescue house in Jimmit was about. We need to find the root of their issues and deal with it from there not eradicate them from society, outcasts are the ones who usually become murderers and other profesional criminals.
I agree with you. i am a female student there and i see that they dont. But they say that they can ”change”. if they could change they would at least try