The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has announced that on February 7, five ranks from the Beterverwagting Police Station, along with persons from the Region Four Education Department, went to the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Secondary School where they conducted a half- hour long lecture on violence (types of violence and how violence affects an individual), and urged the children to stop gang violence and focus of their education.
The GPF said that several issues were raised and addressed by teachers and ranks during the 30 minute session.
The lecture appears to be in response to numerous violent or violence-related incidents in schools. It appears, though, based on the reactions of persons contacted by this publication, that members of the public are not impressed.
One parent with whom this publication spoke said, “You got to be joking; one lecture? In one school? You got to be joking.”
A father taking his daughter to school was approached for comment. He responded, “So, the police are boasting about spearheading a single half-hour talk session; I can’t believe it.
“The government needs to have a plan to deal with the problem. The Ministry [of Education] needs to formulate a proper plan. This is a serious problem; one lecture is nonsensical,” the gentleman said.
Persons commenting on the GPF’s announcement have indicated that the police are slow to respond to reports. One commentator begged for police to come to a particular area.
The announcement by the GPF follows several reports of physical fights between students. There have also been incidents of parents violently attacking teachers, as well as offensive weapons such as knives, icepicks, scissors, and even an air gun being found on students.
In April of last year, Jaheim Straker, a 16 year old student of the Silvercity Secondary School in Linden, suffered a fractured skull and had to undergo emergency brain surgery following an attack by a classmate.
