Drowned boy’s dad angry at teachers, says he wants closure

'This is 100% negligence'

BY EVERARD OWEN Observer correspondent

Sunday, February 05, 2012

BRYAN'S BAY, Portland — Horace Burke stood on the beach in this town on Jamaica's north-eastern coast Friday looking out at the same angry sea that had taken his 16-year-old son Shane the day before.

The father's grief gave way to anger at the teachers who took his son and 39 other students to Shanshy Beach without permission.

"This is one hundred per cent negligence," he fumed.

The elder Burke said he was told that a member of the group alerted the others to the fact that Shane and 17-year-old Demel Osburne were in difficulty in the water.

"Someone said 'Shane a drown', and dem say a prank and dem take it for a joke, and two a dem drown," Burke lamented as he looked across to Navy Island.

The tragic deaths rocked the country Friday after it emerged that the bus carrying the group of St Andrew College students diverted to Portland instead of returning directly to Kingston after a field trip to St Mary to complete a School-Based Assessment (SBA) project.

"My son was destined for St Mary -- St Mary Bananas -- to do his SBA, and ended up in Portland in tragedy," Burke said. "My baby mother signed for him to go to St Mary for his SBA. The principal said they had permission to go to St Mary and not Portland."

On Friday, principal Donovan Isaacs was furious as he confirmed that the signed agreement between the school and parents was for the students to be taken to St Mary only.

Yesterday, the Observer on Saturday reported that the school board will decide this week whether to impose sanctions on the teachers who were on the field trip.

While this will probably bring the closure that Burke seeks, his immediate concern is that the search team will recover his son's body, just as they did Demel's.

"All now we caan find my son, so mi still a look out, still a hope fi find him to bring closure to the situation, fi mek him know seh mi love him and want him where mi deh still," said Burke. "If he is out there I want to find him. After mi bury him, mi really want to hear what happened as mi no hear nothing yet."

Burke said that at first the information he received about the tragedy was confusing. He said he received a call at about 3:00 pm telling him that his son died in St Mary. After that he heard that it was in Portland.

"I want to bring closure to this. Mi a hear sketchy, sketchy news how him drown," said Burke.

He described his son as a good boy who always tried to do his best academically, even though he was not a student who got excellent grades.

Despite his grief, Burke had a word of advice for other parents: "Make sure that you have full details of where your children are going and who they are going out with."

He also pleaded with school administrators to ensure that when they take students out they must all be accounted for and supervised properly.

Yesterday, the search for Shane's body ended without success.

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COMMENTS (14)

Maude Cooper
2/5/2012

I too am so disappointed that a teacher would not know better than to decide to change plans en route, rather than what parents agreed to. How could any teacher behave so irresponsible? This is proof that academics without common sense are ineffectual. During my children’s primary and high school years when they had to leave off school grounds for any reason, a form would be sent home with specific information for me to sign and return days before, and sometime I made the decision not to sign, therefore my children would be exempt, for as a parent that was my prerogative to do so…My sympathy to both families at this difficult time.

Ynot Meid
2/5/2012

In our time of grief, anger and bitterness we do ask for certain type of judgment to be passed. However, lets us be mindful of what we ask for in anger. I agree lives have been lost, but a full analysis must be done to ascertain what went wrong. Lets hope all of us who are calling for certain punishment are willing to accept the same if the shoe should ever go on the other foot. My heart bleeds for the lost of lives, but as GODLY as a nation we claim to be, do be believe only GOD can answer why?

Surgio Gonsalves
2/5/2012

Condolence to the families of the deceased. My thoughts and prayers are also for the members of the student body, teachers and staff. Counselors must be readily available to meet with all who need someone guide them through this difficult time. As teachers, we must always remember to be extra vigilant when students are under our watch. It is our responsibility to provide proper guidance during school hours.

Jakan 2011
2/5/2012

This father is perfectly right and he deserves and has a RIGHT to be told what happened to his child. He should not be getting "sketchy sketchy" information as he says.
I truly hope they find the youngsters body soon, that his family will eventually find peace and he will RIP.

wanda woeman
2/5/2012

Firing the teachers or trying to make them accountable in any way won’t bring back these two youngsters. Chances are that they are not even of means to justify any civil suits brought against them. Certainly criminal charges of manslaughter are out of the question. As it happens we too often want desperately to become friends with our children and our charges instead of the disciplinarians we should be, so we acquiesce to their pleadings, without considering the consequences. I am almost certain that the teachers didn’t just divert to the beach but submitted to the cajoling of some of them and are now the subjects of the wrath of a nation. We can be firm and still be friends with our charges.
Our hearts go out to these parents in their darkest hour.

silas marner
2/5/2012

@ Pru Edwards: the school is private which most likely eliminate the MOE of liability. This a sad case and they should have learn from a similar occurrence on an SBA trip to Hellshire some years ago. Gross negligence I say, since there was no need for the diversion: St Mary to Portland is in the opposite direction viz St. Mary to Kingston. All the sorry cannot bring back these children for death is death and there is no coming back from from the grave - BIBLE. Have my sympathy parents and kit.

pru edwards
2/5/2012

The parents should sue the Ministry of Education for gross negligence, and abuse of authority. People who are in responsible positions must be held accountable, and this goes for teachers too. Too many sad stories in relation to incidents at school and abuse of children under the care of teachers are taking place. In many instances situation warrants that the parents be compensated and the offending teachers be barred from the teaching profession. It's as simple as that.

Rasta B
2/5/2012

These Teachers should be charged criminally. Then the parents must sue the school. There were matters of Deception all along the way and the children were deliberately put in danger.

Elli Deedo
2/5/2012

This is a very sad and tragic occurrence; there are several questions to be answered. Based on what eyewitness told the news, teachers were seen going their way looking for food and the students were on their own. Those boys should have been cautioned not to enter the water, who know's. And why were they allowed to go that far before eyewitness saw them. Someone is to be charged for negligence. The beach operator must not be blamed, the signs said swim at your own risk. Teachers neglect.

Anthony II
2/5/2012

This is one of those heart-breaking tragedies where you just have to wish condolences to all involved: the families of the boys; the school community; and even the teachers at the centre of this! I hope that they know that people are in sympathy with them. I hope that both families will also receive the counselling that they will need. And I hope that they recover the body of the missing student.
.
Schools and teachers: unnu haffi vigilant wid people pickney dem.

Jay Brown
2/5/2012

The teachers must be held accountable.

Alessandro Ferrari
2/5/2012

Why are they contemplating what to do with the teachers? They should be fired immediately for dereliction of duty. They will have to live with the memory of what they caused to happen. As far as what I have read in the Observer, it seems as if these teachers had planned this from the beginning. I feel the pain of the father has I lost a 9 year old son 8 years ago. I can just imagine how empty he feels. I have nothing against teachers as my wife is one but incompetent ones?

pancho morris
2/5/2012

As a farther of a youngster, this breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. I am so very sorry to hear of your loss. I cannot imagine being in your shoes. May God bless and comfort you.

One Jamaican
2/5/2012

This scandalous and very sad, and is gross negligence. The teachers should be charged with manslaughter and cover expenses related to the death. Should not go unpunished as every parent relies on the supervision of teachers

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Teen killed for laughing at man who fell from bicycle

Drowned boy’s dad angry at teachers, says he wants closure