Education Ministry reviewing reports on teachers trimming of Vauxhall student
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Education is now reviewing written reports and statements related to the alleged forced trimming of a male student’s hair by three teachers at the Vauxhall High School in Kingston earlier this week.
This follows reports to the Ministry’s Safety & Security in Schools’ Unit that on Tuesday, May 30, three male members of staff forcefully restrained a grade 10 male student on the floor of a building on the school compound and proceeded to use a pair of scissors to trim his hair against his will.The student and his mother later reported the incident to the police and formal charges were brought against the teachers implicated.The ministry said it had requested that statements which should include a mandatory Critical Incident Report be submitted by today, Friday, June 2.Education ministry officials who visited the school sought to ascertain:The nature and extent of the incident which took place on May 30.Whether there was any breach of the ministry’s Safety and Security Policy GuidelinesWhether there was a breach of duty of any of the school officials or its agents. If there was a breach, who breached their duty of care?Whether this incident was isolated or there had been other critical incidents at this school Determine whether there are behavioural problems which would require any of the Ministry’s Behaviour Modification ProgrammesWhether the matter was reported to the police and the nature of the police investigation Whether there was a case for administrative actions to be taken against the implicated teachers.The ministry said the reports and or statements received should be used by the school board and/or its relevant committee, guided by The Education Act, Education Regulation, 1980 to inform the application of administrative sanctions, if any, to the three male teachers implicated in the incident.The school board has since received copies of the reports and will meet next week to review the incident.