KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) is calling on the Ministry of Education and Youth to intensify the implementation of the National School Safety Policy following the fatal stabbing of a student of Seaforth High School and reported incidents of bullying at Jamaica College.

“Schools should be safe havens for our students. When both parents and students have to be sceptical of the safety of our schools, it presents an unacceptable barrier for children to access their right to quality education and the safety of their person,” said Executive Director of JYAN, Shannique Bowden, in a press release.

“Our schools have been making attempts to manage the discipline and safety of students, but the results have shown limits in the capacity of the institutions themselves. The Ministry of Education must intervene with urgency as they have an overall mandate to protect the right to education and the well-being of our children,” she continued.

READ: Seaforth High student killed after schoolyard dispute escalates, three in custody

JYAN said the increased prevalence of violence and harm pose a significant risk to the welfare of our Jamaican children and continue to threaten the functional purpose of the school in ensuring the teaching and learning exchange. It said studies continue to show that the threat of harm has negative impacts on academic performance and mental well-being.

JYAN is calling on all education stakeholders, led by the Ministry of Education, to take action towards short and long-term interventions, including:

● Intensify the implementation of the National School Safety Policy.

● Conduct a comprehensive school safety audit of all schools, with reports and actionable mandates employed based on audit findings.

● Implement conflict resolution modules into the school curriculum and provide increased funding support for qualified individuals and CSOs to administer intervention programmes. These modules should be age-appropriate and context-specific, with rollout starting at the early childhood level.

● Prioritise research and implementation of best practices for achieving discipline and safety in schools, ensuring the use of proven standards to inform internal school policies. This requires an all-of-society approach, pulling on existing networks and resources.

● Provide strong, sustainable victim-centred programmes which ensure psychosocial services for victims of bullying and violence in schools are accessible.

● Development of a Parental Involvement Strategy to bridge the gap between home and school and reinforce techniques learnt at school within the home.

READ: JC board says student assaulted in viral video admitted to ‘taking’ items from schoolmates,