IRWIN, St James — Even as Education Minister Fayval Williams expressed concern that students of Irwin High School do not feel they are being heard, a school administrator on Tuesday dismissed claims that they did nothing to help after a fight took place between 15-year-old Raneil Plummer and his alleged killer.

According to the school official, who asked not to be identified by name, the students were told to write a letter about the disagreement that led to their dustup. Meanwhile, the police have indicated that the 14-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing Raneil last Thursday will be charged within a matter of days.

“In speaking with the students what is clear is that they need more adults to be listening to their plight,” the education minister told reporters during a visit to the St James school on Tuesday.

“They are just growing up; they haven’t learned yet how to fully manage their emotions. They need to speak with someone, they need to speak out about what is happening, speak out about what is happening to them. And based on their response, this response this morning, that is a gap that we need to act on at the ministry,” Williams added.

She said that was a big takeaway for her from the visit and efforts will be made to provide more accessible psychosocial support for students “who arrive at school sometimes very angry”.

The minister said this would also be extended to the teenager who is currently in lock-up, pending charges.

“We have to ensure, whatever the outcome, that he, too, is provided for in terms of his own psychosocial [needs] so that he can deal with the life that he is going to be facing, whatever that life is,” Williams stressed.

She said there were also plans to visit Raneil’s family in Point district to provide comfort and other measures of support as the family tries to cope with the tragedy.

Last week, the slain boy’s grief-stricken mother said she had been told that her son had made a report to a teacher last Thursday after he was “draped” by his alleged attacker; however, the incident was ignored.

On Tuesday, a school official sought to set the record straight about the lunchtime altercation between the two boys.

“Contrary to what is out there that nothing was done, we want to rubbish that because the teachers did what they were supposed to do; but the students did not carry through,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

He said the teacher who received the compliant asked both students to provide written reports about the incident, however, none was submitted up to the time when Raneil was stabbed.

“The teacher did what she was supposed to do. The teacher saw what was happening and gave both students the necessary documents to file the report as to what happened with the incident earlier in the day in terms of an earlier altercation,” said the school official.

“This was not done by either student. The teacher had her class but by time she was through, the students would have already left and they did not return the reports,” he added.

Raneil, who was in the 10th grade, received a single stab wound to his chest. He died while being treated at hospital.

On Tuesday, Commanding Officer for the St James Division Superintendent Eron Samuels, in giving an update on the status of the ongoing police probe into his killing, said: “The investigations are far advanced. In my update from my crime officer, some more students are going to be interviewed, along with the dean of discipline, and we intend to proffer charges before the end of this week,” he said.