Queen's mum on schoolyard disturbance
Students on the compound of The Queen’s School on Wednesday morning.

Administrators at The Queen's School have thrown up a wall of silence around the all-girls' institution following a disturbance on the campus on Tuesday, which ended when a student was finally convinced to come down from the roof of a building on the compound.

On Wednesday, a team from the Jamaica Observer visiting the campus on Central Avenue in St Andrew was prevented from entering the school by a security guard who claimed that the principal, Jennifer Williams, would be in meetings with delegates, parents and guardians for the day and would not be available for interview unless scheduled.

A short while later, in a post on social media platform Instagram, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton shared a video and photo of his visit to the school in which the students appeared to be in a cheerful mood.

"As I told the amazing students and staff at Queen's School today, let school be your best home away from home. Find a friend, an activity to overcome the not-so-good days and keep pushing to be your best self," said Tufton in his post.

Students of The Queen's School walking to classes on Wednesday. (Photos: Karl Mclarty)

Speaking with the Observer after his visit, Tufton, who did not refer specifically to the incident, encouraged people to seek support in dealing with their mental health.

"We need to encourage the population to communicate with each other, find someone they can confide in and share their issues to overcome and just ensure that we put support systems in place," he said.

"It doesn't have to be specialised trained credential people, it just needs trusted reliable support systems and part of those could be physical activity, meditation, proper nutrition, rest, and talking to someone," he said.

Rector of the St Andrew Parish Church Canon Sirrano Kitson, who also visited the school, told the Observer that everything was back to normal on Wednesday.

Kitson did not provide any details on what had transpired at the school on Tuesday despite unconfirmed reports of clashes on the campus early in the school day.

"The visit was to meet with the student body and teachers in a situation where there was some anxiety pertaining to what happened at the school. The school is doing very well at this time and back to a teaching-student learning environment," said Kitson.

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