Tobago Correspondent
Form Two students who were involved in last Friday’s fight at Signal Hill Secondary School have been suspended. The decision to suspend the students came after a viral social media video showed a student being attacked by around 20 other students last Friday.
The Division of Education, Research and Technology of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) said in a release yesterday afternoon said the incident is under investigation and “appropriate disciplinary measures have already been taken against the students found responsible.”
Contacted for more information, Secretary of the Division Zorisha Hackett referred Guardian Media to School Supervisor Sherry Ann Rollocks-Hackett who referred Guardian Media back to the officials release and said any further information will have to come from the administrator.
Attempts to reach the division’s administrator Dianne Baker-Henry were unsuccessful.
However, a parent wants Minister of Education Nyan Gadsby-Dolly to intervene as she feels there is an attempt by Tobago officials to coverup the factors that led to the incident.
The woman claimed she made several reports of bullying against a student at the school. She condemned the actions of the students but said the situation could have been avoided.
“The aggressor is being lifted up. They need to get the background on what cause children to lash out this way on one child. I know it, the other parents raised it in the meeting but the public don’t know it. I would have made a report a year ago and nothing happened,” the parent said.
On Monday, students involved in the incident got in-house suspensions with counselling and community service. Yesterday the decision was made to fully suspend them with mandatory mediation at Hope Farm starting from today.
“Within two days they imposed the second suspension without the investigation coming to an end. I’m not signing two suspension in less than two days. It’s not politics, the school and division trying to cover up what’s happening,” the parent said.
Officers from Tobago’s Community Policing, Gender Based Violence and Child Protection Units are investigating the fight. This was confirmed by Superintendent Rodhill Kirk who expressed serious concern about the psychological effects the attack may have had on the mental health of the student who was attacked.
He said police have been conducting weekly anti-violence campaigns at Tobago’s secondary schools and he was shocked by the incident as school violence has been at an all-time low in recent years.
“This one was a bit shocking to me. The investigation is ongoing so at the end of that we would know exactly what happened because sometimes the video just depicts a part, but even self, what I saw, that is something we would not tolerate. It will be investigated thoroughly and let the chips fall where they may,” he said.
T&T Unified Teacher’s Association (TTUTA) Tobago Division president Bradon Roberts said teachers at Signal Hill did not neglect their duties and the fight could have happened during a break.
“Looking at the upsurge of students behaving in terms of the deviant behaviours and bullying each other, it’s nothing new. It’s getting worse and more of it is being captured on video. No one is listening to these children. If you see how excited some of them were to attack each other,” Roberts said
Guardian Media understand the parents of the student who was attacked have sought legal advice on the matter.