FOLLOWING the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Haig Williams, of the Cross Keys High School in Manchester last week, past students are throwing their support behind principal Ralph Nelson, who has come in for criticism from parents.Related story:Cross Keys High tragedy – 16-y-o boy stabbed to death

Williams was stabbed during a dispute with a gang of boys who have since been arrested. Police say one of the boys has confessed to the stabbing.

In a release to the media, the alumni, while extending condolences to the family of the slain student, said that Nelson should not be used as a scapegoat.

“The situation is not unique to Cross Keys High and is a direct reflection of the general behaviour of society at large where incidents of crime and violence are at the forefront of our daily activities. While not totally dismissing claims that the principal is to be blamed in part, it is absolutely clear that the responsibility must be shared by all the stakeholders. The Ministry of Education, the school board, parents, teachers and the environment in which these students develop are all to be blamed,” said the past students.

Expressing their satisfaction with Nelson, the alumni also credited the principal for improvements made at the school in education and sport during the past three years of his five-year service at the school. They added that Nelson arrived at a time when the school was at its lowest ebb in over a decade and praised him for accepting the challenge at a time when only a few were willing.

“The school is not a rehabilitation facility; neither is it a penal institution and therefore must act within the guidelines of the Ministry as it relates to sanctions/punishment. The school operates for 7 1/2 hours daily inclusive of break and lunch periods. There are sixteen and a half hours where the students are outside of the school’s jurisdiction. Is the school to be responsible for what happens during those hours?” asked the alumni.