DECLARING that students will be provided with an “even safer” environment, principal of the newly merged Hydel Cumberland High School, Carlon Pitt on Monday moved to address security concerns voiced by some parents. He is the former head of one half of the merged entity, Cumberland High.

“We cannot totally eradicate acts of violence in school but we try our best to keep it at a tolerable level, and that is where we are right now. Where we are currently does not make us any different from any other school in terms of students resolving their conflicts; we are even safer,” he said, adding that school administrators will continue to be proactive.

Pitt was speaking with the Jamaica Observer during an official ceremony marking the merger of the St Catherine-based high schools.

“Everything has basically doubled with the merger. Extra security personnel is in place; we had training right throughout the summer with student leaders [who] were also trained in a way to help their peers resolve conflict, so we are going to be proactive about it. We are going to still look at what worked, and look at what we need to improve, and what we need to strengthen so that we can keep a lid on things as far as indiscipline is concerned,” Pitt explained.

He stressed that despite Cumberland’s violent past there had been a significant reduction in interpersonal conflict at the institution in recent years. He attributed this to deliberate planning, intervention, and workshops for students.

Kendra Lall and twin brother Kai Lall at Hydel Cumberland high school in St Catherine (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

He said the education ministry has recognised Cumberland High’s efforts at creating a safe space for learning.

“If you walk out here you will see a plaque on the wall. We go through a rigorous process to be assessed and evaluated and got a Level 3 certificate. We are one of two schools in this region to have received that level of certification so we are indeed a safe school,” he insisted.

The school plant can facilitate approximately 1,200 students, however last year there were only 432 enrolled. A teacher who spoke with the Observer on condition of anonymity pointed to the injuring of a student outside the school gates as one of the possible reasons for the decline.

“Parents felt [it was] a bit unsafe to send their children. When the previous principal left, parents also pulled their children — and that was shortly after the incident,” she said, adding her support for the merger.

“I’m quite excited about it because the numbers were extremely low and, as a teacher, that can make you feel a bit demoralised as if there is not much to do. And then it was affecting students in the sense that they felt as if school was a bit boring. The low number also affected the attendance, because students like to socialise with their peers. If there is only a handful of children they will feel like school is not going on,” she said.

Announcing the merger in June, Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon explained that challenges with Hydel’s crumbling plant, coupled with the underutilisation of Cumberland High School’s facilities, had influenced the decision.

Nicola Murdock, the aunt of Kendra Lall and twin brother Kai Lall, who are attending Hydel Cumberland High school, told the Observer that her initial concerns about safety stemmed from her older nephew’s experience at Cumberland a few years ago.

“Over here was rough, rough. They usually fight every day, some serious fighting — not just small fights, gang thing was happening over here. Over here was very violent,” Murdock expressed.

“One of my neighbour’s daughter came over here so she reassured me. She graduate now. She said over here changed a lot in comparison to what it was coming from so it gave me hope to say, ‘Okay, you know what, let’s give this a try.’ I’m going to keep my fingers crossed and walk with faith,” she said.

Another parent, Tashana Nicholas, said other mothers told her it was “a bad school where children fought a lot”, but her opinion changed after a visit to the institution.

“I came and observed the environment, socialised with other students and mothers, and then decided that I would go along with it [the transition],” she said, adding that her 12-year-old daughter will be attending the school.