Teachers charged after child’s hair trimmed against will

(Jamaica Observer) - The Ministry of Education on Friday stepped into the dispute at the Vauxhall High School in Kingston following criminal charges being laid against three teachers who allegedly trimmed a male student against his will.

The ministry, which said it was reviewing reports and statements related to the May 30 incident, has instructed the school board to fill, in the shortest possible time, the position of dean of discipline, and that ongoing contact be established and maintained with the student and his parent “to determine his continued enrolment in Vauxhall High School or another public educational institution if that is the desire of the family”.

The school board is to meet this week to review the incident, while the teachers are to appear before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday, June 8. Following a report of the incident, the police arrested the teachers on Wednesday last and charged them with assault occasioning bodily harm and unlawful wounding.

The Elletson Road police reported that the teachers allegedly cut the child’s hair against his will, inflicting bruises.

The ministry, in a press release on Friday, said that based on statements the school board should be guided by the regulations of the Education Act and decide whether the three male teachers should be punished by the school.

Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid told the Jamaica Observer that the child had a history of behavioural problems at the institution.

“They have been having problems with him in terms of the dress code, issues of truancy and so on. So he has been a troubled child and a challenge at the school, (but) it’s unfortunate that the administration allowed the lack of good sense to prevail. I always advocate, no matter how difficult the situation is, to follow due process. There is a board, get the parents involved. But what they have done, as I am sure the courts will determine, obviously there is a breach,” he said.

Ministry officials have visited the school to gather critical information such as the nature and extent of the incident; whether there was any breach of the ministry’s safety and security policy; whether there was a breach of duty of any of the school officials or its agents; determine whether there are behavioural problems which would require any of the behaviour modification; and whether there was a case for administrative action to be taken against the implicated teachers.

The ministry, meanwhile, said “the issue of the student’s conformity to the established dress code of public educational institutions must be observed and complied with at all times”, and recommended a staff development session be convened with the support of the Regional Guidance and Counselling Unit to ensure that all levels of staff are re-sensitised about the issue of duty of care and the appropriate actions available to treat with students’ behavioural problems.

“We will follow up as usual to make sure due process is followed in all cases,” Senator Reid said.