Shock at Stabbing of Student

The Ministry of Education is shocked and saddened by the stabbing of a student at the Dunoon Technical High School in East Kingston today.

The student who was stabbed is in hospital in stable condition.

The student accused of the stabbing ran away after the incident. Three other students who have been linked to the incident have been taken into custody by the police.

A team of counsellors are to be at the school tomorrow (March 3). The counsellors will speak with students and teachers traumatized by today’s incident.

The Ministry of Education would like to underscore the importance of the ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to violent behaviour in schools. This position is clearly outlined in the Safety and Security guidelines which have been distributed to schools.

The Ministry also wants to remind principals that they are the chief security and safety officers of schools, and are responsible for planning and administering the day to day security and safety arrangements of their schools.

In condemning the incident, the Education Minister, Andrew Holness said ‘security and safety must become a way of thinking in schools and I am encouraging schools to comply with the standards set out in the Safety and Security Policy’.