(iWitness News) – Minister of Education, Phillip Jackson, has acknowledged the challenge that school violence poses to the education system in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, telling nationals,” Vincy, we have a problem.”
“When the astronauts are in orbit or on a mission, and something is wrong, they say, ‘Houston, we have a problem’,” Jackson said at the “National Consultation on School Violence in St. Vincent and the Grenadines”, held in Kingstown on Tuesday.
“This is not just simply reporting. This is a call to duty. So, I’m saying, ‘Vincy, we have a problem.’ And the problem is not the ministers’, minister of education’s problem, or the minister of national security’s problem, or the commissioner of police’s problem, or the teachers’ problem or the principal’s problem. It is our problem,” Jackson said.
The consultation comes amidst a rise in violent clashes among students in SVG, even as students boldly proclaim their association with various gangs.
At the same time, Alia Mc Dowall, 17, a student of Central Leeward Secondary School, died on March 1, 16 months after she was stabbed in the throat outside her school, allegedly by another student of Bethel High School (BHS).
