Installation of CCTVs at Braeton Primary and Infant School
By: , June 26, 2023
Photo: Dave Reid
Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, speaks at a special devotion held in acknowledgement of the National Day of Mourning for Jamaica’s Children, at the Braeton Primary and Infant School in St. Catherine, on Friday (June 23).
Photo: Dave Reid
Student from the Braeton Primary and Infant School in St. Catherine, Shantelle Johnson, reads the Governor-General’s proclamation for June 23 to be acknowledged as the National Day of Mourning for Jamaica’s Children, during a special devotion held at the school on the day.
Photo: Dave Reid
Stakeholders and community members join in solidarity during prayer at the Braeton Primary and Infant School in St. Catherine. They were attending a special devotion held in acknowledgement of the National Day of Mourning for Jamaica’s Children at the school, on Friday (June 23).
Photo: Dave Reid
Students from the Braeton Primary and Infant School in St. Catherine join in prayer for protection of the nation’s children. They were attending a special devotion held in acknowledgement of the National Day of Mourning for Jamaica’s Children at the school, on Friday (June 23The Full Story
The installation of closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) has started at the Braeton Primary and Infant School in St. Catherine, says Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams.
“In the assessment that was done, eight cameras were installed. It was reported that there are still eight blind spots here on the property, and so, already, the central ministry is in the procurement process for an additional eight,” the Minister informed.
The Ministry’s objective is to fit all schools with CCTVs in order to deter or capture the actions of perpetrators who abuse the nation’s children.
This comes after the abduction and killing of an eight-year-old student from the institution.
The Minister provided the update during a special devotion held in acknowledgement of the National Day of Mourning for Jamaica’s Children, at the primary school on Friday (June 23). The day was used to raise awareness of cases of child abuse in all forms.
Mrs. Williams said the most recent annual report from the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) shows the entity responded to 12,604 cases of abuse in one year.
“If that does not shock us…, I don’t know what will. That is one in every 40 children. The figures are telling us that one child in every classroom across Jamaica has been abused,” the Minister noted.
“There is clearly a need for a whole-of-Jamaica approach for caring for our children. We must get better at recognising the signs that something is about to go wrong before it actually goes wrong,” she added.
For his part, Head of the St. Catherine South Police Division, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Christopher Phillips, encouraged parents to teach their children how to be “alert and aware of what is happening in our environment”.
“I challenge parents, guardians and schools to sensitise our children to what is happening in our environment. They are not too young to be taught what to do if they feel threatened or in danger. If we can train them to do other things, then we can train them on what to do when there is a danger alert,” he said.
Persons and children can report child abuse by calling the 24/7 hotline 211 or the nearest police station.