KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Education, Fayval Williams, is concerned that violence is being normalised in the nation’s children.

She expressed her concern on Tuesday during a statement in the House of Representatives where she expressed “deepest sympathies and condolences” to the parents of 15-year-old Irwin High School student, Raniel Plummer who was fatally stabbed shortly after classes ended last Thursday.

A 14-year-old boy has been taken into custody in connection with the killing which has left Raniel’s mother and brother devastated.

“We regret the loss of a son, a student, a child of Jamaica and pray that our children will not normalise this egregious and callous act,” Williams said.

Noting that the tragic incident was devastating for the family, the school community and Jamaica as a whole, the education minister said: “When a child kills another child, it should cause us to look within ourselves as parents, as a community, as an education sector and as a society.”

“There may be factors that contribute to the belief among children that the answer to their frustrations in human interactions, is to lash out with violence because they perceive the other child to be the source of their anger and suffering.”

The minister said teaching children appropriate ways to communicate and behave begins very early, even before they start attending school.

“Children must be taught early by parents and other adults to follow rules and structure their lives for positive achievements. They must be taught non-violent ways of solving conflicts,” she said.

In recent weeks, there have been several clashes between students in public with several sustaining serious injuries. The principals of five prominent Corporate Area high schools were forced to issue a joint statement denouncing violence after students of the various schools clashed over several days at various locations, including the Half-Way -Tree Transport Centre.