ACCORDING to Reverend Stephen Smith, students have been overstepping boundaries with teachers “from time immemorial”.

“Based on conversations I’ve had with persons who have retired long, long ago from the school system, these have been issues that have long been happening,” Smith, guidance counsellor at Calabar High School, told the Jamaica Observer in an interview.

Smith was commenting on stories highlighted by the Sunday Observer about underage male and female students who have made brazen sexual advances at their teachers of opposite sexes.

Last Sunday a male teacher shared how the actions of a 15-year-old girl sent him running to the school administration for assistance, before the perturbing situation could be perceived in any way as a relationship.

This week, in an attendant story, two female teachers share similar stories, and attorneys warn that the youngsters carrying out these acts against their teachers can, if it comes to that, be punished by courts of law.

Smith said it would fall within the remit of guidance counsellors to offer guidance to students who would have transgressed in that way.

Smith, also pastor of Seaforth Circuit of Baptist Churches, said such students would need to know that this behaviour is “highly inappropriate”, and they would require help understanding their boundaries. “And, of course, [it would be necessary] to lead them to a point where they are able to apologise to the teacher.

“A matter like that, whilst you deal with it as a counsellor, you would also have to bear in mind the teacher, being the one offended, most definitely might want to take that to the leadership of the institution for a different kind of approach or action,” Smith said.

“But the role of counsellors is always to offer to our students guidance in terms of behaviour and that there are things that are appropriate or not appropriate. And so you help them in that way, as best as possible, so they come to that understanding and to know that there are always boundaries.”