It is shocking and indeed alarming to learn that some of our students are arming themselves with weapons as they head to school. Instead of packing their bags with books and lunch as well as the tools needed in the classroom, some have added dangerous weapons to the list.
Principal of Parkinson Memorial Secondary School Jeff Broomes this week revealed a drawer full of weapons that included knives, scissors, a long iron rod and shanks which were confiscated from students since he took over the school in 2013.
Some may say this is nothing new and has been going on in schools all across Barbados. As true as that may be, society cannot continue to sweep this issue under the carpet, only addressing it when it is raised in the media, or when someone is hurt.
Just last month, teachers were cautioned to be on guard in the classroom. Then, it was said that on some days, some schools were like war zones.
This is an untenable situation which has left students and teachers fearing for their safety. It must be dealt with urgently.
The weapons that were revealed this week have also sparked another issue where the Barbados Union of Teachers is charging that students are bringing weapons to Parkinson without being punished by the principal.
As a result, the spotlight has again been placed on Jeff Broomes who has defended himself, stating that he has always engaged the police, parents and staff on such issues.
Twenty-five teachers have withdrawn their labour from the school until this issue is dealt with by the Ministry of Education.
We find it difficult to believe that any principal in charge of a school in Barbados, or anywhere for that matter, would turn a blind eye to weapons in school given the potential dangers it could pose to all attending the institution. This is a serious charge and one that must be fully investigated.
But we cannot stop there.
Education officials need to dig deeper to find out the source of these weapons infiltrating our school grounds and classrooms. We need to find out why students are taking them to school. Why do they feel they need protection, and protection from whom, or are they just being deviant and lawless?
Our school grounds are becoming battlefields and it is time to draw the line. One principal recently said some of our students are “walking time bombs”. If that is indeed proving to be the case, we need to quickly diffuse this situation for the sake of our children, our teachers, our schools and society as a whole.
