Education Ministry Looking to Expand Support for Schools in Volatile Areas

The Ministry of Education and Youth’s Inter-Ministerial 25/34 schools strategy is to be used as a prototype for working with institutions located in areas deemed volatile.

This was disclosed by Acting Director of the Ministry’s Safety and Security in Schools Unit, Richard Troupe, during a semi-virtual Anti-Gang Week town hall meeting at the Office of the Police Commissioner in Kingston, on Wednesday (November 16).

The strategy aims to provide support for students who display anti-social behaviour in schools. It forms part of the Ministry’s targeted interventions focused on eradicating violence in schools.

Mr. Troupe said the strategy will target 34 schools located in seven zones of special operations (ZOSOs).

“We know these schools are located in very volatile spaces; that is why the communities were declared zones of special operations,” he explained.

The programme is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education and Ministry of National Security, aimed at providing assessment, intervention, and support for participating children.

It is targeting approximately 25,000 students across 19 primary and 14 high schools, among other institutions.

Mr. Troupe indicated that the Ministry is also forging partnerships with relevant stakeholders in schools and other critical ministries, agencies, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to coordinate activities under the programme.