The brawl between two students of the Richard Ishmael Secondary School was triggered after the female student made disparaging remarks about a relative of her schoolmate, a source close to the school told Stabroek News yesterday.
A video showing the two students from a city school fighting surfaced on social media on Wednesday resulting in public consternation. Questions have been raised about what the Head of the school and teachers did in the aftermath of the fight and in relation to the enforcement of discipline.
The video, which made its way around various social media sites and became a trending topic, showed a female student of the city school being hit, kicked and dragged by a male student. The Ministry of Education (MoE), in an official statement, said that investigations into the incident and other similar matters have been launched and at the end of the inquiries, a detailed statement will be issued.
Yesterday morning, Minister of Education Nicolette Henry met and spoke with the children of the school.
During her visit, she made both parties in the fight apologise to each other, a statement from her Ministry said yesterday.
However, persons on social media after learning that the students were made to apologise to each other, condemned the action. Many expressed the view that stricter discipline should have been meted out to the male in line with the need to end violence against girls.
In response, Public Relations Officer at the MoE, Brushell Blackman, assured that further action would be taken following the findings of the investigation.
Henry, during her address to school, encouraged the children to find other ways apart from violence to deal with conflicts and differing views.
She told the students that there is a certain behaviour that is set out in the school policy that they should at all times comply with. Henry told the students that any deviation from what is expected will be dealt with firmly.
Henry reminded the children that they should be their brother’s keeper and expressed the hope that upon her next visit to the school, she wanted to hear good things about the institution.
The release disclosed that the Minister also met and had discussions with the teaching staff, who gave feedback and shared suggestions.
The teachers were reminded that they are the mainstay of the Education sector and she will ensure that their welfare and safety are always of paramount
importance.
She further told the teachers that the School’s Welfare Department will be utilising the services of one of the Mobile Psychosocial Units to address issues affecting both students and teachers at that school.
Henry on Wednesday faced strong criticism from the public after she responded to the incident with the phrase “students usually fight.”
Henry told reporters on the sidelines of an event that the Welfare Department would have intervened following the Standard Operating Procedures… “If need be, for there to be any feedback to you [reporters] and to the public based on the fight, I’m certain my officers would be more than happy to provide that feedback,” the minister assured.
