Tashieka Mair and Tyrone Reid, Gleaner WritersWORRIED BY a sharp upsurge in violence in our nation's schools, the Government is considering installing surveillance cameras in these institutions.
Senator Noel Monteith, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education Youth and Culture, said the Government had been spending millions of dollars on security in schools but the violence had continued unabated.
"Well, what we would have to be looking at now is technology, in the form of surveillance cameras, to see if we can identify the intruders. I am not saying that this will happen this week or this year," said a concerned Senator Monteith.
GROWING TENSION
Just last week, classes were suspended at the Cedric Titus High School in Trelawny due to growing tension among residents of Clark's Town and Falmouth since the stabbing death of an eleventh grade student.
The following day, teachers and students at the Eltham Basic School in St. Catherine were traumatised by a daring daylight robbery at the institution.
Then, teachers at the Boscobel Primary School in St. Mary demanded tighter security
following death threats against two of their colleagues.
LEVEL OF HOSTILITY FRIGHTENING
Senator Monteith told The Sunday Gleaner that the current level of hostility in schools was frightening and was one of his greatest concerns. He insisted that despite the valiant efforts of the Safe Schools Programme in over 100 schools, instalment of security fencing, plus a new push in guidance and counselling, the scourge of violence was spreading even to unconventional places.
Mr. Monteith is urging the communities to join forces with the Government in the fight to save schools from being
swallowed up by violence by identifying and withstanding the offenders.
He revealed that the perpetrators cut holes in the schools' perimeter fencing, scale or knock holes in the walls to gain access and commit their dastardly deeds.
He added: "These people need to recognise that they are not going to get away with doing these things."
Recently-appointed Children's Advocate Mary Clarke could not immediately say what her office could do to help the situation, but said that she would be heading to the drawing board. "My roles and functions are prescribed by law ... I have to really think about it and see what falls within my jurisdiction, roles and responsibilities," she said.
In the interim, she is calling for the intensification of the already existing programmes on conflict resolution.
