MONTEGO BAY, St James — Despite myriad challenges facing the education sector recently, the Ministry of Education has declared a steely resolve to afford students across the island the opportunity to realise their full academic potential.

“Jamaicans all, undaunted… undaunted we press on. We press on. We are conquerors, we are nurturers, we will overcome these times, but we have to do it together,” the director for the ministry’s region four, Dr Michelle Pinnock, stated at the launch of a social services fair last Saturday.

The fair was held by the national security and education ministries at St James High School.

Recently, the education sector has been bombarded with a number of challenges, including news that 16-year-old William Knibb Memorial High School student Khamal Hall was fatally stabbed by classmate who is also 16 years old , allegedly in a dispute over a “guard ring”.

The following day, a grade 11 student of Excelsior High School on Mountain View Avenue, St Andrew, was taken to hospital for treatment after being stabbed by another student at the school.

Both incidents came shortly after the full resumption of face-to-face classes which was, for the most part, substituted by virtual learning as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic that surfaced over two years ago.

In her address, Dr Pinnock spoke of the importance of partnerships and inter-sectoral collaborations in education.

“This fair is an example that we are doing this thing together. So, undaunted we press on as we build each student who will build each school, and then in turn will build each community. And Jamaica, land we love, will be a better place for all of us. Collaboration for the empowerment of all,” Dr Pinnock said.

“Students and our parents, know that the Ministry of Education and its agencies stand with you, as together we ensure that all our students are able to maximise their potential. Parents, understand that it is [the] village that is going to raise your child; and we stand ready with you, we stand ready to support you. Together we will help you chart the way to a better and brighter tomorrow. Partners all, understand that we have a role and a responsibility to impact in a positive way, our students. So together, we will promote better living for all our Jamaican children,” she added.

Last Friday, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang, while speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Anchovy Police Station, lamented the brazen acts of criminality and expressed shock at the William Knibb Memorial High incident.

“Kids at school arguing over a ring? Some say this ring is so important it has powers of protection and [there is] talk about obeah and whatever it is ….,” Dr Chang said.

Last week, acting commissioner of police (ACP) and head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force Community Safety and Security Branch Charmaine Shand disclosed that a 16-year-old student of a rural high school was recently caught recruiting students to participate in the lottery scam.

“When school reopened for partial face-to- face we were conducting security surveys and assessment, and we went to a high school. When we went to the school we were told by the school administrators that there were a couple boys that were allegedly involved in lottery scamming; and how this came about is because they were actually recruiting other boys to be a part of it. So immediately we carried out our investigations, did an intervention with the particular student, and we referred the matter to our counterparts,” ACP Shand told the Jamaica Observer.

She noted that presently members of the Safety and Security Branch are conducting a mentoring and intervention programme at the particular school where the illegal activity was nipped in the bud.

“I think because of the early intervention we got an opportunity to stop it right there. We carried out further intervention into the community where he resides and and that is now treated with,” she disclosed.

However, the senior cop could not say if the practice is widespread in schools across the island.

“From time to time there are allegations but surely there are some young men that are probably not in school but they are also involved in lotto scamming. There are young men… and recently we heard about females too that are involved but I don’t know how widespread it is in schools,” she said.

On Saturday a number of services were offered at the social services fair to parents and students by representatives of agencies from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Security, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Minister of Justice.

A similar event is planned for the parish in two weeks at the Albion playfield.