An upsurge of extreme misconduct at some secondary schools across the territory has resulted in the Ministry of Education implementing new measures to curb the behaviour, including the assistance from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.
Education Minister Honourable Sharie De Castro made the disclosure during a recent session of the House of Assembly where she detailed some of the shocking things that are being discovered at some of the unnamed schools.
“I can regrettably confirm that some of our students are threatening the lives of their peers, teachers, administrators, and security officers and are threatening to destroy school property. Additionally, our schools have found students in possession of marijuana and marijuana products as well as e-cigarettes and alcohol,” she said.
“Brass knuckles with knives attached are being confiscated from students far too frequently. Schools have also reported a significant issue with students bringing oversized splat-ball or pellet guns and using them to shoot at others after school,” she added.
Some behaviours not improving
De Castro also spoke to some of the measures that have been implemented over the past few months to help curb the growing issue.
She said while there has been some improvement from some students, the same cannot be said for others.
“In September of 2022, I, in my capacity as Minister of Education, met with about fifteen students and their parents regarding their repeated misbehaviour during the last school year, and the school’s intervention plan and expectations were clearly outlined to all present. Both students and parents were required to sign a behaviour contract which outlined the school’s Code of Conduct and Discipline Policy. While some of those students have earnestly tried to improve their behaviour, the same is not true for others,” she stated.
“As an added measure to address the growing concerns with students’ behaviour, one secondary school in particular added work duty, in school suspension, counselling, engaging internal and external mentors and detention to their litany of strategies intended to remedy disruptive conduct. Here again, while some students have benefitted from this wrap-around approach, others continue to have no regard for the school’s policies regarding student conduct,” she further explained.
Small percentage of students causing havoc
The education minister attributed the upsurge to a very small group of students at the schools, stating that their behaviour will no longer be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly.
“Even with all these measures added, schools continue to grapple with a significant number of infractions. The behaviours described above are being perpetuated by a very small percent of the overall student population. However, 100% of the time of the schools’ administrators, teachers and security officers are consumed addressing these matters and critical instructional time is being repeatedly disrupted. This cannot continue,” De Castro stated.
“The Ministry of Education stands squarely with all our schools in declaring an absolute zero tolerance approach with regard to the perpetuation of behaviours of extreme misconduct such as those mentioned above. This means that students who are caught with drugs or drug paraphernalia, edibles, alcohol, knives or toy guns and students who engage in gang fights or threaten teachers or other staff will face the requisite consequences as this type of behaviour cannot be allowed to continue,” she further reiterated.
As it relates to the involvement of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, De Castro said a request has been made to have “increased patrols of schools and their surrounding areas, and strategic assistance with investigations in matters of extreme infractions as necessary.”