Dealing with violent students

THE EDITOR: Will the recent murder of a 15-year-old schoolboy, plus the ongoing beatings by school gangs, finally persuade the Government to implement expulsion or at least a school centre for violent students?

The argument against expelling violent students (usually made by activist-types with no educational experience but lots of feel-good rhetoric) has always been that this would provide recruits for gangs. Instead, those students brought the gangs to school.

The other option is a specialised centre that would facilitate specific pedagogical approaches for dealing with problem students. This idea was, in fact, raised some years ago by Prime Minister Rowley. Will he now have the gumption to follow through?

JENSEN RUSHTON

San Fernando