ATTORNEY-at-law Keith Smith feels that people who murder teachers ought to be hanged, while calling for tougher laws to penalise thugs who enter school property and commit violent acts against students or staff members.

The attorney made the suggestion while lamenting the number of violent acts committed on school compounds against staff and students, saying that teachers at some institutions were very weary to turn up at classes because they were fearful of being robbed, gunbutted or killed.

To this end, he called on the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and human rights groups to lobby the government.

“I call upon the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, the church community and human rights lobby groups to immediately urge government to enact urgent legislation, which will provide stiffer penalties in instances where violence is executed against persons connected with our schools,” Smith said.

He was speaking at the weekend at Knox College’s Founders Day celebrations in Spaldings Clarendon.

Smith noted that murders on school campuses were fast becoming the norm, and insisted that schools, churches and courts of law are areas that must remain sacrosanct.

He added that people who violate schools, its teachers and students must be regarded as enemies of society, and must be treated as such.

Noting that education must be administered in an atmosphere conducive to proper learning, the former radio talk show host said that students were just as fearful as some teachers to attend classes, adding that such conditions could not be allowed to continue.

Last month JTA President Ruel Reid threatened that his association would take action against the education ministry and the attorney general if government failed to provide adequate security in schools for its 22,000 members while on the job.

Reid said the education ministry must ensure that all schools are safe and called for the installation of surveillance cameras, fencing, security guards and direct link to state security.

Reid’s call came against the background of the murder of Boscobel Primary School principal Manning Marsh. Two men invaded the school and stabbed Marsh to death on Monday August 22.

At the time, the JTA president also pointed to what he said was an emerging trend, where students, parents and other people can just walk into a school and abuse teachers.

In June, gunmen entered a classroom at the Edith Dalton James High School in Duhaney Park, Kingston and robbed a teacher of her handbag and jewellry. The following day, a group of men gunbutted a teacher on the campus during a failed robbery attempt.

“We cannot wait until it becomes more commonplace before action is taken,” Smith said. “Let us take this venomous weed from the roots before it takes control of the system. I am suggesting that the time for action is now, otherwise we will stand condemned as those who stood by and allowed violence to strangle the entire fabric of what our National Heroes have sacrificed for to enhance nation building,” he urged.