ST MARY, Jamaica — Classes at the Horace Clarke High School in Islington, St Mary were suspended on Monday after the school was burglarised over the weekend.

The burglary is said to have taken place early Saturday morning.

Police reports are that around 1:00 am, the security guard on duty heard unusual noises. Upon his investigations, he saw two masked men tampering with lights along a passageway. The security guard informed the acting principal who then alerted the Islington police.

On the arrival of the police, it was observed that the principal’s office door had been forced open and the room ransacked.

A monitor box and laptop were stolen from the office, the bursar’s office was also vandalised, and an undetermined sum of cash was taken.

The thieves also reportedly broke into the staff room and forced open the container that housed the school’s tuck shop, where they took snacks and juice.

A release from the Ministry of Education said that items reported stolen include internet modems, a microwave, computer accessories and items from the tuck shop. Furniture and fixtures were also damaged, light bulbs were shattered, and important documents were displaced.

As a result of the incident, classes were suspended on Monday, however, students who were set to sit overseas examinations were accommodated.

Education Minister Senator Dana Morris Dixon expressed her deep disappointment at the incident, stating, “It is disheartening to know that individuals would so callously disrupt the teaching and learning environment at Horace Clarke High. Our schools must be safe spaces for students and educators.”

Classes are to resume on Tuesday, May 13.

— Ingrid Henry

Photos of the ransacked rooms found after the burglary at the Horace Clarke High School in Islington, St Mary (Photo: Ingrid Henry)