The investigation into the blowing up of four toilets at the JC Chandisingh Secondary School was completed and after intense interrogation at the Rose Hall Police Outpost during last week, ten students have been transferred to lower level schools.
No charges were laid against the students but after officials from the Education Ministry and the Department of Education met teachers at the school recently, it was decided that the students would be transferred.
This newspaper learnt too that the students have to pay $16,000 compensation before they are issued with letters of transfers for the other schools.
The students had used explosives to destroy four toilets at the school on two occasions during October. Police sources had said that after the first incident, a student admitted to having purchased two explosives, referred to as ‘Thunder King bombs’ to blow up two of the toilets. However, he refused to reveal where he bought the devices and gave the police conflicting stories.
The child’s parents had agreed to fix the toilets but reports are that this would no longer be done after the students were “punished.” When this newspaper visited the school shortly after the second incident, in which the female toilets were damaged, the head teacher confirmed that the student confessed and had completed a period of suspension.
She had said that investigations were being conducted and they were trying to find out who the other culprits are. According to her, both incidents occurred around the time that the school was on lunch recess. Sources told Stabroek News that the students, including four females were taken to the outpost from around 9 am and were detained until after 6 pm. They were reportedly ordered to kneel on the floor with their hands in the air.
A source said that there were some “confessions” about who bought the explosives and who lit them. The names of other students were also mentioned.
Sources also Stabroek News that two of the students were badly beaten and “pressured” to give information as to whether any teacher had instigated their actions but they maintained that they did it on their own.
Fifth form students who are involved would be allowed to return to the school to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination. But parents are concerned that “the other schools would be behind with the syllabus” and students’ education would suffer.
The source said, “The students were wrong to blow up the toilets
