JTA concerned about safety in schools

The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) has expressed concern for students and teachers as construction activities are continuing while schools are in session.

This follows school tours with focus on the western end of the island.

“I am inclined to think some improvements have been attended to on these campuses as the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information has by now dispatched its Safety and Security Education Officers as well as Building Officers to conduct their own observations. As a result, recommendations to contractors as well as measures to hold them accountable should be the order of the day,”, said JTA President, La Sonja Harrison.

She also noted the break-in at the Bickersteth Primary School in St James.

“This is quite unfortunate overall but especially at the start of the new academic year. Many resources purchased to take the school into the first term have been stolen leaving a void and deficit, with a major setback for the progress of students, teachers and parents,” said Harrison.

She informed that the setback is further compounded by the loss of valuable teaching and learning time resulting from the closure of the campus to facilitate investigations by the relevant authorities. Harrison said the situation is simply untenable and demands urgent attention and decisive action.

“Even more grave was the incident at Seaward Primary, where an armed assailant breached the school’s perimeter fence and confronted a teacher in the presence of her students. The teacher, who is now undoubtedly traumatised, was robbed of her laptop, cellular phone, purse, and other personal belongings, while her students were forced to witness this deeply distressing ordeal,” Harrison said. While expressing gratitude that no lives were lost, she said the serious personal and financial burden this incident has placed on the teacher cannot be overlooked.

“This raises a critical question of who will assume responsibility for replacing the valuables that were lost while this teacher was carrying out her duties in the service of our children,” Harrison said, opining that teachers should not be expected to bear the personal and financial consequences of inadequate security in the very schools where they are entrusted to educate and protect the nation’s children.

Harrison noted that the JTA has a current claim before the Government seeking additional security of school resource officers as well as CCTV cameras in schools, items which the ministries of education and finance have reportedly communicated that they are unable to support outside of the existing budgetary allocation.

“The safety of our children and those who serve them in our schools must be of national priority! Our schools must be safe zones,” Harrison urged.