Shelly-Ann Thompson, Gleaner Writer

Seven male students of Kingston Technical High School, along Hanover Street, downtown Kingston, are scheduled to face the court today for unlawful wounding, in relation to an incident at the school on Wednesday, which left at least four boys nursing stab wounds.

Four of those charged are Jawaughan Provern, Lorenzo Basco, Mark Pryce and Rajay Watson, all 18 years old.

Vice-principal of the school, Robert Allen, has said the boys, all 11th-graders, have also been suspended from school for 10 days.

School suspended

Police from the Central Police Station had to be called in to the institution on Wednesday after knives and a belt buckle were used to inflict wounds to several boys. The injured boys are said to be nursing wounds to the forehead, wrist and torso. Classes were also suspended for the day.

"Yesterday's (Wednesday) incident is relating to some of the boys who were in a fracas two weeks ago. Then, one boy was wounded and the police were called in, and about four 11th-graders and one 10th-grader were suspended for five days. They were taken back in to finish mock exams and it was during this time yesterday (on Wednesday) that it (fracas) started again," said Mr. Allen.

"It is the same set of students, a pocket of students, who are misbehaving, not the entire school," he added.

In another incident at the institution last week Thursday, a female teacher was assaulted by two boys. The boys are now before the court. They have also been placed on 10 days' suspensionfollowing a decision by the school's board.

Yesterday, the school's administration tried to bring a sense of security and peace to the school by strengthening its behavioural intervention programmes.

"Remediation is taking place at the school, which includes counselling. The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica; Ministry of Education officers; Youth Crime Watch; Dispute Resolution Foundation and others all met with the students to ensure that this level of indiscipline does not occur again," Mr. Allen said.

shelly-ann.thompson@gleanerjm.com