TTUTA Tobago: Time to change curriculum to end violence in schools

TTUTA Tobago officer Bradon Roberts has renewed his call for an urgent meeting of all education stakeholders on the island to address the escalating incidence of violence and indiscipline in schools.

He was responding to a stabbing incident at the Signal Hill Secondary School on February 16, which resulted in one student being hospitalised with serious injuries.

In a 32-second video, which went viral on social media, a male student was seen stabbing a classmate with an object while other students shouted in the background.

A female student could also be heard saying repeatedly, “He stabbing him.”

The video drew outrage from several people on social media, one of whom called on the school’s principal and a teacher, who was reportedly in the classroom during the incident, to come out and make a public statement.

Roberts said the existing curriculum must be revamped to cater to the needs of students in contemporary society.

“We need to reform the curriculum because the current one is not working,” he told Newsday.

“We are fighting against technology where the ‘trinibad’ music is so easily accessible, and the influence that these students are getting outweighs what the current curriculum could really offer in terms of captivating the minds of our young ones.

“So, we need to have the stakeholders coming together where we could tweak the curriculum in such a way that it means something.”

Roberts said several of his colleagues often tell him they could apply the topics they did in Mathematics to their daily lives.

“So, how about we make the curriculum applicable to their daily lives. Instead of using this chalk and talk and the whiteboard and the marker, let us use the football, let us use the home garden. Let us use that in Mathematics. Let us use that in the creative writing and not just have creative writing for creative writing time and Mathematics for Maths time, and there is no relation.”

He said bringing about that change is not easy.

“It requires stakeholders to come together so at least the parents know what they need to do at home that would match what the school is doing. The business sector will also know what the schools are actually doing so they can invest. So is not that schools should be left on their own to just come up with these ideas.”

Roberts argued that school violence will persist until sustainable measures are implemented.

“It does not really matter much what is the reasoning behind this one incident in terms of face value. If these students are engaged positively they would not have time for this. These things come to the fore as long as you have cameras to tape it, but there are always going to be these incidents a schools.”

He continued, “We need to treat with the minds of these young people. We have to captivate them first or else we are going to have these sensationalised incidents where some politician would give a very nice statement and nothing happens afterwards. We wait until the next incident to talk about it.

“I feel it for the teachers who have to face this on a daily basis. So that is why I make this demand for something sustainable to be put in place and not just place plasters whenever we see a hole open up.”

THA Secretary of Education, Research and Technology, Zorisha Hackett, has strongly condemned the stabbing.

Hackett, in a WhatsApp voice note, said she was “utterly appalled and deeply grieved” by the heinous incident which occurred around midday. “This act of violence is an outright assault on the very sanctity of our educational institutions and the safety of our staff and students.”

She added, "School violence, in any form, is utterly intolerable and completely unacceptable.

“It not only shatters lives but also undermines the fundamental principles of education as a safe haven for intellectual and emotional growth.”

Hackett said the division stands in solidarity with the victim, his family and the entire Signal Hill Secondary School community.

She said the incident has strengthened her resolve to root out such despicable acts from schools in Tobago.

“The division of research, education and technology will spare no effort in collaborating with law enforcement to ensure swift justice and comprehensive measures to prevent such atrocities from ever occurring again.”

Hackett said the division’s commitment to fostering a culture of safety, respect and inclusivity within schools has never been more resolute.

“I want this tragic incident to serve as a clarion call for all of us to redouble our efforts in creating environments where every student and every teacher feels valued, protected, and empowered to thrive.”

Last November, police investigated a report in which students of Signal Hill Secondary got into a fight, which resulted in a 13-year-old girl having to seek medical attention at the Scarborough General Hospital.

It was recorded by some of the students and uploaded on social media sites.

The student was treated and discharged.

However, several of the alleged attackers - including the daughters of a Tobago House of Assembly (THA) assemblyman and a police officer - were suspended.

In March 2022, a male student also chopped a classmate with a sharp object during a heated argument on the school’s premises.