By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

MINISTRY OF Education officials yesterday denied that violence is “out of control” in public schools and rejected claims that students and teachers are in “fear of their lives”.

At a press conference Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald said since the re-introduction of the School Policing programme two years ago, violence in the public schools has become almost non-existent.

He said he took “major exception to exaggerated claims of violence” to create headlines and cause “unnecessary panic” among parents and the public at large.

Minister Fitzgerald was responding to a televised report on NB12 news that showed students from various public schools fighting, cursing and in one case disrespecting and mocking a teacher. The report also claimed that teachers were in fear of their lives because students “charged with serious crimes like murder” were allowed to return to school unsupervised, wearing ankle bracelets.

Mr Fitzgerald said it is irresponsible for the media to “dig up” a three-year-old video of a matter that has already been resolved and attempt to pass it off as recent. He also criticised the reporter for “not doing due diligence” and exaggerating minor claims.

“Most of the issues that have arisen in the media in the past 24 hours are old matters dating back as far as 2011; specifically the matter regarding the recording of a classroom incident at RM Bailey Senior High involving a teacher. Two years ago, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology took strong measures and the school policing programme was re-instituted in an effort to improve the safety of all students, teachers and administrators.

“There has been a strong partnership between the Royal Bahamas Police Force, principals and other school officials. This team effort has resulted in a reduction in school violence and has allowed matters of an unfavourable nature to be dealt with swiftly,” he said.

“In 2011, a video circulated via social media that was strongly condemned by the Ministry. The behaviour of the students was not condoned and swift action was taken and the teacher seen in that video is no longer under our employ. The alleged report regarding a stabbing incident at CR Walker High School is completely untrue. There was a minor altercation in the hallway and the matter was immediately addressed by school officials and the student was subsequently transferred to Programme Sure.

“There was also mention of students wearing ankle bracelets in our schools. Let me clarify this matter: if a minor between the ages of five and 16 commits a crime off campus, goes before the court and is ordered to wear an ankle bracelet, by law, we cannot deny access to that individual.”

C R Walker Principal Nicola McKay also denied that there was a stabbing at the institution and said she was “very disturbed” when she saw the report .

“I am very annoyed with the media, who tends to only focus on the negative at government schools,” she said.

“I hate to hear the name of CR Walker tarnished because of what I call irresponsible journalism because nobody called me to find out if an incident happened in CR Walker. Something did indeed take place, but it was a minor incident and it was dealt with very quickly.”

Mr Fitzgerald said there have been “minimum incidents” in the schools for the past two years, “to the point where it is not even considered an issue facing our school system”.