(Trinidad Express) A despicable act of violence and a sad day for education.
This was how the Education Ministry and the association representing teachers described an attack on a school principal by two men who stormed his office at the Tunapuna Hindu Primary School on Wednesday.
Principal Jeewan Ramdhanie was beaten on the head with a wooden baton at the school around 2.30 p.m.
Ramdhanie was attacked by two men related to a pupil.
The men entered the compound and told security guards they were there to see the principal for a recommendation.
But on entering the principal’s office, they pulled out a baton and assaulted Ramdhanie.
The attackers were upset that a pupil had been suspended and took out their aggression on the principal.
The police and Emer-gency Health Services were notified and Ramdhanie was taken to the Mt Hope Hospital.
Ramdhanie is said to have suffered head injuries and had to be given three stitches. He also suffered damage to his hand and fingers when he attempted to shield himself from his attackers.
‘Despicable act’
Following the attack on Ramdhanie, Minister of Education Anthony Garcia condemned it as a “despicable act of violence” perpetuated against the principal.
A statement from the ministry said a team of officers from the Student Support Services Division of will be visiting the school today to provide intervention and counselling for pupils.
Officials of the Em-ployee Assistance Pro-gramme will also visit to provide counselling services for teachers.
“…The Ministry of Education has been making significant strides thus far to curtail acts of indiscipline in our schools. However, when an adult enters a school compound and engages in such acts, it will only repel the successes of the MOE in achieving its goals,” Garcia’s statement said.
He also stated “such acts of indiscipline from adults to assault a principal on a school compound must be condemned in its strongest terms by society”.
“Acts such as these must not be ¬tolerated and adults are expected to behave in a more responsible manner and set the proper example for our nation’s children.”
