TEACHERS at Eltham High School in St Catherine are lamenting the need for better security measures following yesterday’s incident in which armed men entered the school premises.

The Jamaica Observer learnt that teachers had a sit-down demonstration to protest inadequate security measures at the school, after men, along with current and former students, entered the compound in an attempt to attack another student.

It is believed that the incident began in morning devotion when two grade 10 students got into a fight. One of the students is alleged to have called his friends for backup. No one was injured.

While speaking to the Observer yesterday, one teacher, who did not wish to be named, described the atmosphere in the staffroom as tense, while another said: “I felt very scared, as did all members of staff, as what happened was a serious security breach and could have ended with persons being injured or worse, killed.”

Another teacher expressed shock.

“At first I was shocked, then momentarily afraid, wondering what will happen, not just to the students but other staff members. Indiscipline is rampant, but it’s not just a school problem but society [problem] as well.

“When you have persons with no regards for rules and regulations, it’s a recipe for disaster. I believe parents need to do more parenting and the [education] ministry needs to provide more support and resources for teachers and schools. Listen to the cries of the teachers. Safety and security is a big issue,” the teacher charged.