STATEMENT| The Ministry of Education regrettably confirms the stabbing this afternoon of two male Grade 11 students of the Government High School (GHS). Unfortunately, one of the victims succumbed to his injuries on the campus, while the other is being treated in hospital.
According to preliminary police reports, an altercation took place on the school’s campus involving four male students, which subsequently led to the stabbing of two of the students involved.
The Ministry is grieved by this tragic incident, and expresses its heartfelt condolences to the family, loved ones, and the GHS community on the passing of the student whose life was cut short by this horrendous act of violence.
The guiding principle in our “Strategic Plan for the Safe Reopening of Schools, 2020” is “Safety First, Education Always”. The community is assured that the Ministry considers the safety of its students, staff, and visitors to its school campuses to be of paramount importance.
Nevertheless, while the Ministry is committed to a policy of no tolerance for violence on our school campuses, we are also conscious of the fact that our schools may fall prey at times to the incidences of violence and other forms of disruptive behavior which also plague the wider society.
We commend the efforts of our School Administrators, Security Officers and Police Officers for their commitment to the enforcement of measures designed to mitigate against such occurrences, and who work hard every day to keep our campuses safe.
The community may be assured that the MOE will spare no effort in its ongoing quest to eliminate acts of violence against students, staff and others visiting our campuses. We are assured that the Police will wrap up its investigations into this matter shortly, and that the perpetrators of this attack will be brought to justice.
The Ministry thanks all stakeholders who continue to work in unison for the benefit of our students and for our development as a nation.
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