She says the Ministry is working alongside law enforcement to ensure the February 7th chopping incident at the Ciceron Secondary School is thoroughly investigated.

The altercation was said to be triggered by gang conflicts between students, leaving two students sustaining cutlass injuries in the process.

Parents are urged to be vigilant for signs of delinquence and gang affiliation in their children.

Said the Chief Education Officer, “Parents, continue to keep close watch on your children. Pay attention to their social media pages. Pay attention to the conversations that they have with their friends. Pay attention to the friends that they keep and the areas that they spend time in.”

Dieudonne urges parents to maintain a strong relationship between themselves and school management.

“Parents, reach out to school administrators, reach out to our school counselors, if you notice that something is not going well with your child and you need support, you need help for your children. Let us, as a team, school, parents, and our community, be proactive in protecting all of our students and all of our staff.”

She says the Ministry is working alongside the police to ensure the school environment is kept safe for both students and teachers. Teachers have voiced their concerns regarding the safety of schools on-island, particularly the Ciceron Secondary School.

In November 2023, teachers at the institution engaged in a sick-out as a form of protest against the security lapses in the school.

“We continue to work closely with law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that our schools remain safe environments, conducive to teaching, learning, and personal development. We encourage our parents to continue to collaborate with our school administrators and our teachers to ensure that our students and staff remain safe,” Dieudonne explained.

She says the Ministry is finding the root causes of these violent incidents in schools to prevent repetition in future.

“We are committed to ensuring that such incidents are thoroughly investigated as is being done now, and appropriate actions are taken to address both the immediate safety concerns and the underlying issues. Our focus is on providing support and guidance to all students involved. We at the department have a strong emphasis on reformation and rehabilitation,” she said.

The Ministry of Education has engaged a security consultant.t to professionally assess the security needs of the nation’s schools and provide recommendations to secure both plant and people.