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Stabroek News

Teachers policing schools an idea, not policy - Holness
published: Wednesday | March 12, 2008


Holness

Minister of Education Andrew Holness says suggestions of teachers being trained to carry out certain policing duties in schools was merely an idea raised in discussions at the ministry, and among education stakeholders, but had not reached the level of a policy proposal.

Speaking to The Gleaner from Edinburgh, Scotland, yesterday, Holness said he had had no discussions with the Ministry of National Security or the Jamaica Constabulary Force about the suggestion.

He indicated that against the background of a similar policy being pursued in The Bahamas, he had raised the idea - as it related to behavioural problems - some months ago as one for discussion.

"We discuss things and then engage stakeholders before making any statements. We have not yet reached the stage of policy," he said.

He said the idea of teachers being trained as district constables to be better able to search students for weapons and the proper way to restrain them when necessary, was raised with the Jamaica Teacher Association and internally at the ministry.

"The idea was to have them (the teachers) being proactive, dealing with gang formation and gathering information, and so on," the minister said. "They would not be walking around the schools with firearms."

Minister Holness said, just before leaving the island last Saturday, he had asked his permanent secretary to set up a meeting with the Ministry of National Security to discuss a number of issues related to security and safety in schools.

"The training of teachers as district constables would have been among the items for discussions," he said.

Holness dismissed concerns about police personnel in schools as being misplaced. He referred to the Safe Schools Programme, established in 2004, in which police personnel are assigned to do conflict resolution and mediation work in schools.

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