Minister of Education Dr. Michael Dowlath says the government has zero tolerance for indiscipline in schools, and all incidents of violence and misconduct will be treated with severity.
Speaking during Thursday’s Post Cabinet Media Briefing, Minister Dowlath confirmed that in an effort to create safe and secure learning environments, police officers will now be deployed into schools across Trinidad and Tobago.
Minister Dowlath said the decision was taken due to rising incidents of indiscipline and violence in schools.
“The deployment plan is as follows. Two police officers will be stationed in 50 secondary schools identified as priority institutions. Ten other secondary schools and 10 primary schools will benefit from dedicated police patrols to ensure consistent coverage and rapid response. And the reason behind this is that there has been rising incidence of indiscipline and violence in our schools. Recent years have seen increased reports of school violence, gang influence, and threats from external elements.”
He explained the protocols in place to deal with students found with weapons in their possession.
“If a weapon is found in a student’s bag or on their person, the principal will be immediately notified, and the item will be secured safely by the MTS officer, the safety officer, or the school-oriented police officer. And then, the school discipline measures will come in place, and so I want to say that as we go forward in schools, we are taking a zero tolerance on indiscipline, especially with violence, and all incidents will be treated with severity if weapons are involved.”
Minister Dowlath said this approach mirrors successful models in countries such as the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, Jamaica and Barbados.
In response to questions from the media, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander assured that police officers stationed at schools will use non-lethal methods to defuse situations. He said the move is in full accordance with the law.
“What I can tell you is this for sure: those officers will be given non-lethal equipment that they can respond with in an effective manner. We’re dealing with children. Some of them behave very strangely, you know. At the end of the day, they are considered children under the law, so if they are considered children under the law, then they must be treated as children, according to what the law says. Alright? And we don’t want to violate that.”
Minister Dowlath also defended the decision following several incidents of violence outside schools. He said the system is set up to be responsive to whatever situation may occur within or near school compounds.
“What we are about is ensuring that we have safe and secure environments for the process of education to continue. And so, there are not only threats inside schools, but some of the schools are located in areas where there are external threats. You all are out there in the media, and you’ve seen it. In the last academic term, a schoolboy was shot outside St Francois.”