Every Jamaican Must Play a Part in Addressing School Violence – Minister Morris Dixon

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, is calling for a whole-of-society approach to addressing the issue of school violence.

“We need everybody’s support. We need the church, the communities and every Jamaican to be part of rescuing our young people,” she said.

Senator Morris Dixon, who was addressing a career and social fair at Palmer’s Cross Primary and Junior High School in Clarendon on Wednesday (November 20), noted that the Ministry is intensifying measures to address the issue, including expediting development of the School Safety and Security Policy, which is nearing completion.

The Policy includes, among other things, the implementation of physical security measures, such as searches of students’ bags and organising training programmes for school personnel to recognise warning signs and intervene effectively.

There is also a Citizen Security Plan which entails School Resource Officers (SROs) working with members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), particularly in violence-prone communities.

“We will be intensifying that work. But the Ministry of Education cannot do it alone. All of us have to be committed to working on that, ensuring that things, like the music [children] listen to and skits they perform, are not age inappropriate,” Dr. Morris Dixon said.

“We cannot normalise these things. We might laugh, but it’s our responsibility to train [children] in the right way. Children belong to all of us; when we see them doing wrong, we must speak to them. It’s time for us to take charge of our children; they are our responsibility,” she emphasised.

Meanwhile, the Minister lamented the negative impact that recent violent incidents in schools is having on the nation’s youth.

“On Monday, I was at Holmwood Technical High School, grieving with them over the murder of a bus driver on the compound. This is not acceptable; our children are under siege,” she said, noting that the Ministry has been dispatching teams to schools to provide counselling for traumatised students.

Senator Morris Dixon said information from teachers is that children are experiencing a lot of trauma in their lives, which cause them to act out at school.

“They [children] are practicing what they learn. No one is born violent. They are learning it in the homes and communities and taking it to schools, and we are having it to deal with right now,” she contended, pointing out that for schools to be saved, homes and communities have to be rescued.

The career fair was the third hosted by Minister of Labour and Social Security and Member of Parliament for Clarendon South Eastern, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., to empower the residents through education and job opportunities.

He noted that several persons who had done HEART/NSTA Trust training courses, were also in attendance and sitting their certifying exams at the event.

Mr. Charles said persons attending were also able to get their birth certificates free of cost, apply for their Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN) and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) enrolment, inquire about the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), the Overseas Work Programme, sign up for HEART training, “and even get job interviews.”

There were also opportunities to have job seekers connected with potential employers.

“If you have a job and become ill for a period of time, Government will soon be introducing its unemployment insurance to carry you through till you are employed again,” the Minister informed.

Several State entities provided services to citizens, including the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Overseas Employment Centre, Social Development Commission (SDC), Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), HEART/NSTA Trust, Early Stimulation Programme (ESP), PATH, Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC), and the Registrar General’s Department (RGD).

Also on hand were private sector agencies – National Commercial Bank (NCB), Chancellor Insurance Agency, Victoria Mutual Building Society, Juci Patties, Isratech Jamaica Limited and National Self-Serve Wholesale, as well as international partner, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The event was part of activities in observance of National Youth Month.