Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon has ‘strongly’ condemned the incident in which a student of Seaforth High School was fatally stabbed during an altercation reportedly at the Morant Bay Bus Park in St Thomas, south east of here Monday.
‘On behalf of the ministry, I extend deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and the entire Seaforth High community. This heartbreaking loss of a young life is a stark reminder that we must confront the issue of violence in all its forms with renewed urgency and unity. All of Jamaica must become anti-violence,’ Dr. Morris Dixon said in a statement.
‘I appeal for everyone to work with us on eliminating the scourge of violence in the education system. The ministry will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to strengthen the systems of support, discipline and intervention that protect all our children,’ she added.
Media reports said that the suspect is believed to be a fellow schoolmate who was in a previous altercation with the boy on the school compound and the Ministry of Education said that three students are currently in police custody as investigations continue.
In its statement, the ministry reiterated its ‘steadfast commitment to fostering a safe, secure and resilient education system outputting responsible young people to lead our nation.
‘Efforts to maximise the conflict resolution programmes, strengthen behavioural support frameworks and expand student counselling services through the leadership of our principals remain a top priority,’ it added.
It said that it continues to collaborate with the security forces, school administrators and community partners to ensure that appropriate actions are taken and that such tragic incidents are prevented in the future.
In the meantime, the ministry said it is deploying a team of guidance counsellors and ministry officials to Seaforth High School to assist students, staff and administrators during this deeply distressing time and to aid with the investigations.