Dear Editor,

The recent suspension of classes at St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) following multiple fights is a sobering reminder that Jamaica’s schools are under siege from rising disputes, gang-related activities, and bullying.

This is not an isolated situation. Across the island, high schools are grappling with escalating violence that threatens the safety, stability, and very mission of education.

Much has been said about the role of school resource officers (SROs) in mitigating these challenges. Yet the hard truth is that these officers are not stationed at schools, and while the concept is sound, the system in its current form is not working. We cannot continue to rely on a mechanism that is absent in practice.

Government must, therefore, act decisively. I have said it before, and I repeat it now: Parents must also be held accountable. Laws must be enforced against adults who sell alcoholic beverages and contraband to minors. These actions fuel indiscipline and embolden destructive behaviour. Without accountability at the family and community level, schools will remain vulnerable.

The Child Diversion Act, 2018 provides a framework for rehabilitation, but accountability must not be abandoned. Students who engage in violent acts must face consequences that reflect the seriousness of their actions. Rehabilitation and accountability must go hand in hand if we are to stem the tide of violence.

We must also confront the broader decay of our social fabric. Too many of our students are turning up to school as reflections of broken community standards. The tight “spangy” pants; trousers worn below the bottom; the flaunting of jewellery, including Freemason rings and symbols; boys wearing earrings; and the troubling rise of skin bleaching are not merely fashion choices, they are symptoms of a deeper erosion of values. When schools become stages for these expressions, discipline and respect are undermined, and the learning environment is destabilised.

We cannot ignore the tragic reality: In recent months, two students have been killed by their peers in separate high school incidents. These deaths are not just statistics, they are stark warnings that our current approach is failing. If decisive action is not taken, more families will be left grieving, and more schools will be destabilised.

The suspension of classes at STETHS should, therefore, serve as a national wake-up call. Jamaica must strengthen school safety systems, enforce laws against adults who enable delinquency, and ensure that students themselves are held responsible for their choices. Only then can we restore discipline, protect our children, and preserve the integrity of our education system.

Leecent Wallace

Principal of Christiana High School

leecentw@yahoo.com