Education Minister to Meet with Leaders of St. Thomas Technical

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, will be having discussions with the leadership of the St. Thomas Technical High School about discipline at the institution.

The school has been placed in the spotlight following an incident where an ancillary worker was reportedly attacked by students recently.

At a post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday (February 1) at Jamaica House, Senator Reid said the Ministry “will provide whatever support they need to bring the matter of discipline under control.”

“It’s an area that I take particular interest in and I think that there are many gaps from the reports that I have received and we need to intervene and strengthen those capabilities,” he said.

He pointed out that proactive steps need to be taken to address the issue of gang- type activities in schools.

“I am asking my team to get further particulars from the management of the school, including the school Board, because when I hear about the prevalence of gang- type activities in a school, it is telling me that the management of the school itself has fallen down,” he said.

In the meantime, the Minister said while the majority of the island’s 167 public high schools are assigned Deans of Discipline, they are not always based at the institution.

Deans of Discipline are mandated to provide intervention for students’ disciplinary issues; develop appropriate programmes to promote positive behaviour; monitor, develop and implement student behavioural contracts; keep a log of students’ attendance and truancy issues; communicate disciplinary concerns to parents and staff; and ensure the overall safety of the school premises.