Cornwall College to ban use of cell phones by students
WESTERN BUREAU — Cornwall College in Montego Bay will, as of next Monday, be banning the use of cellular telephones by students.
The school’s decision followed last Friday’s theft of a cellular telephone from a student by an armed man, who had apparently entered the school’s compound unnoticed.
“Cornwall has been fairly liberal about the use of cellular phones… But beginning Monday morning we are going to say that these things are banned in the school because much of our robberies have to do with that and you get that within the student body. Boys constantly complaining that somebody took their cell phones from their bags,” he said. “It is not a security issue but it provides an opportunity for dishonest people,” said principal Croswell Taylor.
But parents, fearful that their children who attend the all-male institution are not being properly protected, have harshly criticised the school’s administration for failing to put adequate security measures in place.
At about 11:00 am last Friday, Anthony Williams, 29, reportedly entered the school grounds, armed with a knife, and robbed a student of his cellular phone. Williams then fled but did not get far as an alarm was raised and the police were summoned. He was arrested and taken into custody where he was charged for robbery with aggravation and is scheduled to appear before a Montego Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
But despite the capture of the perpetrator, at least one parent has said the incident should not have taken place because the school should have had security measures in place to prevent unauthorised persons getting onto the campus.
“The school is not safe,” the concerned parent, who requested anonymity said, while questioning the school administration’s intention to address the issue of security.
“Where’s the security? Where’s the new perimeter fence? They (the institution) got money from the Old Boys’ Association at the beginning of the term and with all the fund-raisers they have, are they going to wait until one of the students is killed?” the annoyed parent asked.
A student echoed the parent’s sentiment, saying the incident had left him feeling insecure on the school compound.
“I am very concerned about our safety. We could get killed any day,” he said.
The school’s principal acknowledged the validity of their fears and said the school administration shared their concern but maintained that the issues could not be readily addressed due to inadequate funds.
“Cornwall is in an extremely difficult position regarding security because of the size of the place and the sheer openness of the property… (However) we are concerned and we do not like to have these incidents take place. But you only have so much resources at your disposal but you have many complaints with very few hands to help or even give ideas. But we try,” Taylor told the Observer.
He added: “The school pays for security and we are doing what we can… The security has improved. But I don’t think we’ll ever be in the position to completely prevent persons from coming onto the compound, given the way the compound is and the numerous entrances and exits to this school; this is something that is known by parents, known by this community and the school does its best.”
He said some of the school’s alumni started a perimeter wall last year but work had stopped due to a lack of funds.
“The old boys have started (an eight-foot high perimeter wall)… But it hasn’t gone far. Work has been in abeyance for about a year because of lack of funds and it is a major undertaking. It is going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars… The portion that has been built has helped us in reducing the ease with which persons came onto the compound,” the principal said.
At the same time, he said the shortage of money also prevented the school’s employment of proper security personnel in the absence of a strong perimeter wall.
“The kinds of fees charged by your normal security the school could not pay that. We used to have one and it was costing us an arm and a leg every single month. Just about six or seven years ago we were paying just about $1 million a year in security at the school and we couldn’t cope. We couldn’t then and we can’t cope now,” he said.
The result is that the school, Taylor said, is manned by a group of four watchmen on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, he said in light of the school’s financial constraints, any contribution from parents — who so often complained — would be welcomed.
“Sometimes the parents’ passion is short-lived. If a boy is held up and it is addressed, they probably tend to forget it. And in the long-term assisting with fund -raising and coming to PTA (Parent Teachers Association) meetings with solid and sensible ideas, you don’t get a lot of that. You get a lot of quarrelling and complaining and bashing of the administration about security,” he said.