Portfolio Minister, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, made the disclosure during the post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday at Jamaica House.

“When I saw that story, of course, as many Jamaicans did, my heart broke,” Morris Dixon said. “My heart was breaking for that student when I heard the story, and so I understand the outrage. I understand how Jamaicans feel and how they feel it as if it were their child, because I felt similarly that that was my child.”

“As minister, I have to have all the facts, and it’s for that reason that I’ve asked for an investigation of what took place, so that I can get an official report on it with all the facts on the table. And then we will take action after that,” she added.

The minister said she spoke with the child’s father on Wednesday, noting that the ministry will provide the necessary support needed.

“I had a good conversation [and]  noted that all of Jamaica feels concerned and that we’re worried about his daughter. We conveyed our love for her and that at the ministry we’ll provide whatever support she may need. There was indication that there may be need for some emotional support and some counselling support,” Morris Dixon said.

“In the ministry we’ll do that. We have psychologists on retainer, so any child in our system that needs support, we in the ministry, we pay for the psychologist or if they need a psychiatrist, we also pay for it. So, we’ll provide whatever support that child needs, and the children of Jamaica are at the centre of our decision-making,” she added.

The minister also revealed that she spoke with the principal of the school on Wednesday, adding that it was important to listen to all sides.

“I had a good conversation with the principal, and she assured me that the children are at the centre of all of her policies. And that everything she does is with them in mind. She also went through what happened on the day. She’s indicated we will get the official report from the school, and as I said, we’ll meet with the Board, we’ll meet with the parent, with the school, and in the ministry we’ll get to the bottom of it, and we will take action that is needed,” she added.

Morris Dixon pointed out that many schools have a difficult balancing act, noting that “out of safety for the children and out of other incidents that may have happened, you have to make a call as a teacher”.

“So, I understand the difficulty in that call. But when there are emergencies, we have to act differently. So even when we have the set bathroom breaks, if a child is ill between those bathroom breaks, we have to give them the time to go to the bathroom. And the good thing is when I spoke to the principal, the official rules at the school match with the ministry’s expectations and so what we have to do as a ministry, is to check if the rules were broken,” she said.

— JIS