SCHOOL rules for conduct and dress are meant to instil self-discipline in students. And self-discipline can help a child on a path to success as an adult. It’s also meant to allow for equity among students.
These have been some of the important tenets in education – for decades.
But how far should schools go in telling a student and their parents, what’s acceptable, especially when it comes to hair. It’s a debate that’s raging once more arising from a government secondary school’s edict to students – and their parents – about what hairstyles are appropriate.
And once again, it’s the natural hair type of more than half the country’s population that is the source of this contention. Black schoolchildren are often critiqued for afros, braids, cornrows; styles that somehow are seen as acts of indiscipline.
The administration of Fyzabad Secondary not only sets out rules of what it considered appropriate, groomed hair – pineapple buns is deemed a breach – but warns of dire consequences: suspension for three days, a punishment which the student and parents can mull over at home.
An official attempts to admonish the female students that they are “more than their hair,” so teased updos won’t do. But where’s the evidence that children who wear such hairstyles go on to be failures, unsuccessful in their studies, or in careers.
It’s unfortunate this latest incident plays out as racism and cultural shaming.
The education ministry, under both past and current governments, sought to allow schools the authority to make clear guidelines about grooming that don’t infringe on students’ rights.
But its own suggestions are confusing and conflicting.
Hairstyles should not obstruct the view of others and should not be intricate in design, a July 2023 national school code declared. Why not? But in October that year, it recommended schools set up committees on hair policies which it would review.
On January 19, the ministry seemed to come down on the side of students, stating that rules on grooming should be “reasonable, non-discriminatory, respectful of students’ dignity, and consistent with the best interest of the child”; and respect “cultural identity and personal expression.”
Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath rightly cautioned that while schools may set grooming guidelines, “they must never deny a child their right to education.”
TTUTA and the National Council of Parent Teacher Associations also caution against discriminatory rules that are unfairly punitive.
Activists weighing in harken the confusion over hair rules to post-colonial ideologies; especially for black students, that still informs social acceptance. Twenty years ago, American R&B singer India Arie sang. in her self-affirming hit – I am not my hair – about how damaging this cultural conflict over hair can be for black girls and boys: “Good hair means curls and waves (no)/Bad hair means you look like a slave (no).”
Educators must be careful that this is not the lesson they are teaching.
Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath and Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe have declared war on what they describe as “the silent pandemic” of childhood obesity, during the launch of new school nutrition standards policy.
Speaking at the Ministry of Education, Port of Spain on January 9, both ministers framed the new policy as a critical education intervention aimed at improving classroom performance while safeguarding the long-term health of the nation’s children.
The collaborative initiative seeks to transform the school food environment into a foundation for lifelong wellness.
Building on the 2017 ban on sugary drinks, introduced by the former PNM administration, the new policy will be rolled out in phases beginning this year.
It will eventually mandate a five-point nutritional check-list for all snacks and meals sold on school grounds, including the complete exclusion of energy drinks and artificial sweeteners. The move aims to shift from treating illness to preventing it.
Bodoe painted a stark picture of the country’s health trajectory, warning that thousands of children are carrying more than just the weight of their school bags. He said nearly one in three children in the region is overweight or obese, a trend closely linked to non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
If the current path continues, he warned, it would be impossible to build enough hospitals to manage the consequences in the next 20 years.
Dowlath emphasised that nutrition and learning are inseparable, noting diets high in sugar, salt, and ultra-processed foods are scientifically linked to reduced attention spans, volatile sugar spikes, and increased absenteeism.
Minister of Health Dr Lackram Bodoe. –
By making healthy choices the default in schools, he said the government aims to improve concentration and ensure the learning environment no longer contributes to the very health crisis the state is trying to solve.
He stressed the policy is not extreme but responsible, adhering to a 2,000-calorie daily standard while allowing for cultural adaptation. Dowlath was clear that energy drinks have no place in schools.
Implementation will occur across four phases to ease the transition for administrators, parents, and vendors. The first phase, scheduled for the second and third terms of the academic year, will focus on distributing curriculum memoranda, sample menus, and training materials. This will be followed by pilot implementation in select school clusters, along with monitoring and vendor training.
Full mandatory implementation across all government and government-assisted schools is slated for the first term of the following academic year, accompanied by the publication of an approved snack list. Expansion to private schools is expected by the second term, ensuring uniform standards nationwide. Continuous data collection will guide ongoing improvements.
Highly processed foods marketed to children, Dowlath said, must be replaced with balanced meals featuring whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. All pre-packaged snacks sold on school grounds must pass the five-point check-list: failure on any single criterion, such as excessive sugar or sodium, will result in prohibition.
The standards also apply to foods prepared on-site, including pastries and muffins. A new cap limits deep-fried foods to a maximum of six servings per week across all meal times.
The ministry said these measures align with recommendations from the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization. Similar policies in Chile and the US, officials said, have resulted in reduced sugar consumption and lower obesity rates among students.
Addressing food vendors, Dowlath acknowledged the adjustments required but maintained healthy food can be appealing, affordable, and culturally relevant. He assured school leaders they would not shoulder the burden alone, with the ministry committing to compliance tools, vendor engagement frameworks, and communication materials for parents.
Dowlath also appealed to parents and guardians, clarifying while the state will not dictate what happens at home, it has a duty to ensure schools do not undermine children’s health.
Bodoe described the launch as a “good day” for the country, praising the Ministry of Education’s commitment to prevention and equity as he also noted the 2017 sugary drink ban, saying it laid a strong foundation for the expanded policy.
Reiterating what happens inside school gates has lifelong consequences, Bodoe said, and transforming daily school meals is key to reshaping the nation’s future workforce.
He concluded by urging stakeholders to see the policy not as a restriction of choice, but as an expansion of every child’s right to a healthy life.
ISLAMIC schools will not be left out of government’s plans to revitalise the education system, Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath assured at the Islamic Development Bank’s Caribbean and Latin American Regional Partnership consultation on December 4 at the Trinidad Hilton, St Ann’s.
Dowlath said partnerships with organisations like the Islamic Missionaries Guild, which has offered education services since the 1960s, are critical to deal with issues plaguing schools.
“This approach is not about labeling our children. It’s about lifting them up. The ministry is strengthening interventions that allow us to identify learning challenges earlier, especially from the preschool level. We have provided more targeted support ensuring students receive wrap-around assistance involving teachers, families and specialists,” Dowlath said.
He noted the ministry’s recent distribution of laptops to students, an initiative much welcomed by participants at the consultation some of whom spoke of challenges in accessing technology in Islamic-run schools across the region.
The three-day conference brings together leaders of Islamic organisations from the Caribbean and South America to discuss the challenges facing the faith and opportunities for change.
On December 5, delegates will visit local Islamic-run schools and announce beneficiaries of a Schools and Scholarship Programme.
“The establishment of Muslim-run schools, both for both religious and secular learning, are on the increase across this region, so this consultation is both timely and critical as we seek to make these educational institutions centers of excellence and build a capacity for future Muslim generations,” said Suleiman Bulbulia, regional director of the Organisation for Islam in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The distribution of laptops for form one students have begun at three of Tobago’s secondary schools.
The distribution which began on December 1 at Mason Hall Secondary, Roxborough Secondary and Harmon’s School of Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) is part of the Ministry of Education’s laptop programme – Learning Without Limits – A Laptop for Every Child.
Speaking during the distribution at Mason Hall Secondary School, Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath assured that by week’s end, all of the island’s first formers will have their digital learning device, all of which he said will come with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
Dowlath said the programme was officially launched in Penal a week ago, where close to 200 devices were distributed to Trinidad students. He noted there are sufficient laptops available for all first formers in Tobago.
“This initiative we bring to these students is a vision championed by…Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar over a decade ago in 2010. I want to say many of you would remember, those of you who got laptops during that time, it may have been one of the first initiatives in the Caribbean to bring our education system into the digital age.”
He said over the past few months, teams from the ministries of education, public utilities, and public administration and AI, as well as others, were working on plans to ensure the 18,000 laptops are delivered to students. He described the Tobago distribution as a significant step.
To the students, he said the laptops were now theirs, noting there were very strict rules regarding maintenance and safeguarding.
“It’s not just a device. These laptops would give every single student an equal opportunity for learning, open doors to the future for you. So I want to say, especially the parents and guardians, thank you for your role in supporting your children but your guidance is necessary now to ensure maximum use is made of our learning devices.”
THA Secretary of Education, Research and Technology Zorisha Hackett said possibility is being placed in the hands of students.
“Possibility for discovery, for curiosity, for ambition, for learning that reaches beyond the walls of the classroom. These laptops open a wider world to you, one that you, our children, must be prepared to navigate and one that we are obligated to equip you for.”
Newsday understands the ministry has ordered 18,000 laptops, with accessories, which will cost approximately $135 million – $7,500 per device with accessories.
During the ceremony, the AI component on the device was demonstrated to those in attendance. Officials from the ministry operated the AI function highlighting that it operates under strict protocols and there is no possibility of it being able to be used for anything outside of its core functions of teaching Mathematics and English Language.
Tobago MPs Joel Sampson (West) and David Thomas (East) were present during the ceremony.
EDUCATION Minister Dr Michael Dowlath says the ministry is currently reviewing the policy with respect to referring students who have been expelled from secondary school to the Military-led Academic Training Programme (Milat).
He made the comment in the Senate on October 29.
In response to a question from Opposition Senator Janelle John-Bates, Dowlath said the ministry was reviewing the policy as well as the national school code of conduct as part of the overall school discipline matrix. He added the process was being done by the Education and Defence Ministries.
He said the idea was to “create a balance between enforcing discipline and providing structured, compassionate rehabilitation pathway.”
Dowlath repeated Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s view that children could not learn in an atmosphere of fear and disorder and teachers could not teach.
He reminded senators that the issue led to the introduction of police officers at selected schools.
Dowlath said students would be held accountable for their actions and schools would remain safe environments for learning.
Asked later in the sitting by Opposition Senator Melanie Roberts-Radgman if any students were expelled from school since the start of the new academic year in September, Dowlath said that information would have to be provided in writing at a later date.
The Senate was later adjourned to a date to be fixed.
The Education Ministry said the review of the School Supplies and Book Grant initiative for students of government and government-assisted primary and secondary schools is part of a modernisation effort by the ministry.
It said the review does not mean support for the initiative will be discontinued.
In a release on October 23, the ministry said the review is taking place as part of its implementation of the Education Strategic Plan 2025-2030, which is the national framework guiding education reform over the next five years.
The release said the modernisation effort is being carried out to ensure that support for students is equitable, data-driven and aligned with emerging learning technologies.
“The introduction of AI-supported textbooks and other adaptive digital resources will ensure that future student assistance complements these modern learning tools. The review does not signal a discontinuation of support but rather a responsible process to determine how best to provide sustainable, transparent and effective assistance to learners and families,” the release said.
Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath said the review of the initiative reflects a deliberate and evidence-based approach to improving education support systems.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that every dollar spent delivers measurable improvement in student learning outcomes.
“The decision to review the book grant programme follows a period in which no allocations were made in the annual budget and the ministry was required to seek funding through the mid-year process.
“We are determined to strengthen the programme so that support is predictable, equitable and aligned with the ministry’s broader strategy for modernising learning resources, including AI-supported textbooks,” Dowlath said.
He reaffirmed that the goal is not to withdraw assistance but to ensure sustainability, efficiency and accountability in delivering learning resources to all students.
The release was issued following media reports concerning the initiative.
The ministry said it remained committed to providing clear and factual information to the public regarding the initiative.
It added that the initiative was initially introduced as a social support measure to assist students with essential learning materials.
“In the 2024 cycle, approximately 27,000 applications were received, and 20,000 grants were disbursed before the close of the fiscal year,” the release said.
It said no funding allocation was made in the subsequent 2025 national budget, and the education minister sought and obtained approval for financing through the 2025 mid-year budget review.
It said this intervention provided 20,000 grants of $1,000 each to support students in need.
“The current review seeks to strengthen the programme’s design and delivery, ensuring that allocations are timely, efficiently administered and aligned with national education priorities,” the release said. “The ministry reiterates that all education spending will continue to be guided by the principles of fiscal prudence, transparency and accountability.”
EDUCATION Minister Dr Michael Dowlath has urged students to use their voices for positive purposes rather than to wound others, as he reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring that every school in TT becomes a safe, inclusive, and emotionally supportive space for learning.
Speaking at the Secondary Schools Anti-Bullying Conference held on October 15 at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA), San Fernando, Dowlath stressed that schools must be “safe and secure places of learning,” not only for academic development but also for the holistic growth of every child.
“We want to be firm, but we also want to be fair,” Dowlath said, referencing the ministry’s code of conduct on bullying, which prescribes clear penalties for offenders. “Our goal is not just to correct behaviour, but to heal relationships between those who have been involved in acts of bullying. We want to restore those relationships so they can go back into the classroom and learn together.”
The minister emphasised that eliminating bullying requires a collective effort from everyone in the school community – including principals, teachers, school safety officers, parents, and students.
“Adults in schools have a responsibility to ensure that every classroom, every corridor, and every play area is a safe space,” he said.
Caribbean Colour Splash has been hosting this conference since 2016, targeting secondary schools in south Trinidad. This 11th conference, themed Getting to the Root of It, Bullying Identification and Prevention, saw students enagaging in dramatic skits dealing with the issue mimicking life and which has caused government to implement special police units in 50 schools.
Addressing hundreds of secondary school students in attendance, Dowlath urged them to speak up when they witness bullying and to support one another rather than tear each other down.
“Students, you have a responsibility to address any act of bullying that takes place in your school,” he said. “You have a powerful voice – use that voice not to wound others, but to heal, to reconcile, and to build bridges.”
He reminded students that bullying is not just about physical aggression but also involves emotional and verbal abuse. “Zero tolerance does not mean zero compassion,” he added. “Even when someone has been involved in bullying, we want to support them, counsel them, and help them understand what is right.”
Dowlath explained that the ministry has been prioritisng social and emotional learning through its School Support Services (SSS), which include guidance counsellors, social workers, and psychologists. These professionals, he said, play a key role in promoting emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and empathy among students.
“Sometimes, when you’re playing games and lose, you take your ball or bat and walk away,” Dowlath told students. “We want you to learn how to lose gracefully. That’s part of developing your social and emotional intelligence.”
Feature speaker Jenna Julien echoed similar sentiments, urging students to recognise that bullying extends beyond physical acts. “Be careful with your words,” she said. “Name-calling and hurtful language can deeply wound others – it can mean life or death to your victims.”
She was a bit taken aback when students were asked to say which one of three approaches they would take if they saw a girl friend in a fight. The options included: recording it on their phone; jumping in the fight and “backing up” the friend; or calling a teacher or security. The majority of students roared loudly their choice would be option two.
Dowlath closed his remarks with a call to action, urging that the conference not be “just talk” but a movement that inspires real change across the nation’s schools.
“Let this conference become a movement that reaches every corridor, every classroom, and every playground,” he said. “Let it inspire greater acts of kindness in every school in TT.”
He congratulated the students for their participation and reaffirmed the ministry’s “unwavering commitment to creating schools where every child can learn without fear and develop confidence in themselves and in others.”
Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath says there is a rat infestation at the Rousillac Hindu Primary School and it will be closed to allow for sanitisation.
He gave the commitment in response to a question from Arouca/Lopinot MP Marvin Gonzales who highlighted a protest by concerned parents outside the school on September 19.
The school is currently being housed at the Rousillac community centre after construction of the new school was stopped in 2015.
During the urgent questions in the September 19 parliamentary sitting, Gonzales asked about the reports of a rat infestation and what immediate action will be taken to safeguard the health and safety of the children, teachers, and staff on the compound.
Dowlath blamed the former PNM government for the issues facing the students.
“This is ongoing matter that is a direct result of nine years of neglect by the last government. The rebuilding of the Rousillac Hindu School was stopped in 2015 when it was close to 70 per cent completed and remains decanted into the Rousillac community centre.”
He said 92 other schools have also been left incomplete since 2015.
Dowlath said although baiting exercises were previously undertaken by the Siparia Regional Corporation, the ministry has decided to temporarily close the school to allow for a comprehensive treatment of the premises.
“An intense programme of sanitisation and baiting has already been arranged. This programme will include deep cleaning, placement of traps and baits, sealing of various entry points and monitoring to ensure the complete elimination of rodents.
He added the ministry is working with other stakeholders including the Ministry of Health and Siparia Regional Corporation to ensure the exercise is thorough and the facility is safe before classes resume.
He was unable to give a timeline for the resumption of classes, and questions by Gonzales and former Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly to elicit a date of resumption were denied by House Speaker Jagdeo Singh.
THE Catholic Board is troubled that some of its schools have been deemed “at risk” and are on the list of 50 schools which have police officers on patrol in them.
Fr David Khan, Vicar for Education and CEO of the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM) told Newsday on September 16 that to date, none of the RC schools identified, have a police presence. He wondered about the legitimacy of a list in circulation and the stigma it would attach to its institutions of learning.
“The Ministry of Education has not sent us a listing. At a meeting with the ministry about two weeks ago, the (heads of denominational) boards were told that it (policing in schools) had not yet gone to Cabinet. When asked about how schools were then selected, the ministry’s response was that it was data-driven,” Khan said.
“The only listing I saw was what was published in a daily newspaper and some of our schools are on that list. I don’t know if it is a leaked list or if it is genuine. We have no police officers in our schools.”
Asked if he wanted police in RC schools, Fr Khan did not give a direct answer.
“What I do want is a full complement of teaching staff because safety is very important. If we have teachers in all of our classrooms doing what they are supposed to do, then the police can patrol and do what they normally do.”
Khan said it is his understanding that interviews are being conducted by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and he hopes for a resolution, soon.
He explained that the communities in which some RC schools are located are”a bit troubled”and there are regular patrols by the community police. “But, they (community police) do not have a presence in these schools.”
He said the CEMB has tried their best to manage discipline and security at RC schools and was “a bit peeved” by some RC schools being on a list and identified as high-risk.
A report in the Catholic News stated that after the meeting with the ministry two weeks ago, the CEMB got its first inclination that Rose Hill RC, Our Lady of Laventille RC, Bethlehem Boys RC, Diego Martin Girls and Diego Martin Boys RC, San Juan Boys RC and La Romaine RC were on a list that was published in a daily newspaper.
At the start of the school term, officers were deployed to 50 schools considered high-risk, to maintain law an order following several incidents of school violence among students.
Fr Khan said everyone was taken by surprise to see their schools listed and overtures to the ministry for information regarding the safety intervention into schools, elicited no response.
Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath, when contacted on September 16, said he was out of office all day and has forwarded Newsday’s queries to the ministry’s communications department.
Meantime, president of the National Council of Parent Teacher Associations (NPTA) Walter Stewart said he has reversed his stance against having police officers in schools.
Stewart said a fight between a student and teacher at the Arima North Secondary School, during the first week of the term, caused his change of heart, and he now welcomes a police presence in schools.
EDUCATION Minister Dr Michael Dowlath announced on September 11 that the government will upgrade the wireless connectivity of 580 schools in TT.
The initiative is likely to be a preemptive measure to ensure that after the 18,000 laptops promised to form-one students are distributed this term, school networks aren’t suddenly swamped.
Between 2010 and 2015, the UNC government distributed an estimated 95,000 laptops throughout the school system.
The programme was abruptly cancelled by the incoming PNM government in 2015, though former education minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly would soon call on the private sector to help address shortfalls in equipment and connectivity availability revealed through needs-assessments after learning was moved abruptly from schools to homes during the covid19 pandemic.
That challenging situation immersed households, teaching institutions, teachers and the Education Ministry in a maelstrom of digitally networked classroom and protocols.
The management and revised education strategies devised during those difficult years, were largely discarded after schools reopened.
What we are left with today is a dog’s breakfast of the digital solutions bolted hastily onto the school system during covid lockdowns.
There has never been any formal assessment of what worked and what did not, how systems might be adapted to improve learning or even any formal document from the Education Ministry evaluating the forced experiment.
The deployment of technology in education and the capacity of schools to make use of it in the classroom varies widely from school to school, sometimes from teacher to teacher in the same school.
Learning from the past is what allows us to make higher-level mistakes in the future and Dr Dowlath should be mindful that the 2010-2015 school laptop distribution crashed hard on the reality of systems and preparation.
Digital infrastructure is difficult enough to deploy, but it becomes magnitudes of order less effective when it is deployed with inadequate planning, shaky support systems and teachers unable to take advantage of the technology given to their students.
There are multiple local, university-level studies of that programme implemented with academic rigor, seeking to understand what happened then and how it might have been addressed that are available to the ministry’s technocrats for study.
Giving children laptops to use in the classroom and for study should be the last step in a strategy that begins with curriculum adaptation, teacher education, stakeholder endorsement and infrastructure support.
Computers aren’t books, and the students using them will need monitoring, guidance and support. Where will these children turn when their overwrought teachers and confused parents don’t have the answers?
Yes, by all means, open the digital bandwidth for schools, but also plan to upgrade the Education Ministry’s support and strategic bandwidth to lead this distribution to a better place.
AN altercation between an Arima North Secondary teacher and a student came to blows on September 10, just three days into the new school term.
The brawl between the female teacher and female student was captured on video by students and uploaded to social media.
The teacher and student can be seen pulling each other’s hair near a desk while a male teacher tries in vain to stop the fight. Students were also seen attempting to intervene.
In a media release on September 10, the Ministry of Education said there is a zero-tolerance stance on violence and indiscipline in school, as it launched an investigation into the incident.
The ministry said it condemned “such behaviour, which undermines the values of respect, discipline, and responsibility that our education system seeks to instil in all learners.”
It said appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against all those found culpable, in keeping with the provisions of the Education Act, ministry policy, and national laws.
The ministry said it will continue to work closely with school administrations, parents, and law enforcement to ensure safe and secure learning environments for every child.
A senior police source in the Arima district confirmed the incident but said details had not been adequately processed as up till 4.15 pm, the school had only “recently” engaged the police.
Arima North Secondary is not one of the 50 schools selected to have cops stationed on the compound during the day.
Arima North Secondary has been severely affected by violence – albeit not on the compound – as four past and present students were murdered in the last year.
The officer told Newsday the decision on which schools had police officers was not theirs.
“It is the ministry that advised as to which schools will be chosen.”
The source said an inquiry into the latest incident will have to be done, and that will determine the police’s actions in the matter.
“(The inquiry) must follow the rules of engagement, particularly those regarding minors.”
The source added depending on the determination, the actions could involve restraint (including arrest), but emphasised that, too, must be done within the relevant rules of engagement governing police processes involving minors.
Former Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath had questions to answer regarding the incident.
In a Facebook post in which she reposted Newsday’s initial article, Gadsby-Dolly said, “In a climate where armed police have been placed into schools, the question arises: what criteria were used to determine which schools the TTPS were sent to? Why was this school left out?”
She asked if police will now be placed at the school.
Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) president Martin Lum Kin told Newsday he was trying to get information but, up till press time, had no update on the teacher’s condition or the outcome of the incident.
When schools open for the 2025-2026 academic year, there will be some changes implemented by the government.
According to Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath, 246 schools have completed the full scope of repairs planned during the two-month vacation in Trinidad, with another 25 said to be in the final phases of upgrades a week ago.
The status of the remaining eight government and government-assisted schools targeted during the vacation-repair programme was not revealed.
In Tobago, 26 of the island’s 57 schools were targeted for remedial work.
As many as 12 of them were not touched, according to TTUTA Tobago officer Bradon Roberts.
By the end of September, the phased distribution of 18,000 laptops for first form students will begin.
The first term also marks the start of a new school discipline initiative – the assignment of 95 special reserve police (SRP) officers in the school system.
MTS guards, the standard security officers at schools, were also trained. What is their role in this initiative?
According to Dr Dowlath, two officers would be stationed at 50 high-risk schools while ten secondary schools and ten primary schools will be covered by regular patrols.
In a press release, the Estate Police Association acknowledged the presence of gangs in schools, drug activity and school violence, but emphasised that the presence of officers in schools cannot be a long-term solution to the problem of school indiscipline.
TTUTA president Martin Lum Kin acknowledged the challenges in the school system, agreed to a short-term trial of a non-lethal plan, noting a violent ambush of security guards at Malick Secondary School on June 6.
Officers on duty in schools will need to adhere to the laws that govern the treatment of children, which are necessarily nuanced under the Children’s Act and the Judges Rules.
Former education minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly called for officers to be “properly supported and their efforts complemented by trained professionals such as social workers and guidance counsellors.”
The early announcement that officers would carry non-lethal weapons was promising; not so the revelation that some officers would be in “full kit,” that is, including a loaded gun.
The schools to be gifted with officers carrying deadly weapons was said to be according to an operational assessment.
But a school is not a drug block or hotspot for gun violence.
There seems no sensible reason why an officer should be in full kit.
Treating the school system like an extreme crime zone seems a quick way to turn them into crime zones.
If a trained police officer can’t effectively subdue or de-escalate a situation involving a knife, the most common deadly weapon used in schools, questions need to be asked of the officer as well as the child.
“Operational assessments” are a fuzzy catch-all for deploying lethally armed police in a school environment and it demands greater clarity; or better yet, a rethinking of the entire plan.
THE Education Ministry says all schools will be able to reopen on schedule on September 8, as 246 schools have had their full scope of repairs completed and another 25 are in the final phases of upgrades as of September 2.
In a statement on September 2 in response to questions from Newsday, the ministry said it had successfully executed its July/August vacation repair programme (VRP), which targeted 279 government and government-assisted primary and secondary schools for upgrades.
It said eight schools were addressed through specialised initiatives, including targeted projects, corporate-partnership collaborations and emergency-repair interventions to guarantee their readiness for the new academic year.
Of the 25 schools in the final stages of repairs, six are in the Caroni education district, five are in the North Eastern Education District, two are in the South Eastern Education District, three are in the St George East Education District, seven are in the St Patrick Education Eistrict and two are in the Victoria Education District.
The ministry also said approximately 18,000 laptops would be distributed to incoming form one students across the country, beginning on a phased basis from the end of September.
“This initiative ensures that every student entering secondary school will receive a device, including those with special needs.
“The laptops will support both classroom and remote learning while enabling access to AI-enhanced digital textbooks and resources featuring interactive videos, embedded tutors, and problem-solving tools to strengthen performance in critical subjects such as mathematics and language arts.”
The ministry said details regarding laptop models, procurement costs, and suppliers would be shared after completion of the procurement process.
Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath said he was satisfied with the progress made.
“I am proud that, through collaboration and strategic planning, all schools will be ready to open on schedule. At the same time, we are ensuring that every incoming form-one student is equipped with a laptop to support their learning. This is about more than providing devices – it is about transforming education through technology, ensuring equity, and preparing our young people to succeed in a digital and AI-driven world. I extend my sincere appreciation to all stakeholders – including contractors, MTS teams, school principals, supervisors, and the ministry’s technical staff – for their dedication in making this possible.”
“These combined efforts – upgrading schools while equipping students with modern learning tools – represent the most extensive push to date under the government’s education strategy, aimed at bridging the digital divide, strengthening student outcomes, and ensuring safe, welcoming, and technologically enabled schools.”
The ministry said the vacation repair programme remained a key priority of the national education strategy, representing the most extensive effort to date.
“Recognising the challenges posed by an aging school infrastructure, ongoing and proactive maintenance is essential to ensure the safety, functionality and longevity of our educational facilities.”
THA: 26 schools repaired for $20m
In Tobago, THA Secretary of Education, Research and Technology Zorisha Hackett says the division has prioritised 26 of the 57 schools on the island for remedial work on a budget of $20 million ahead of the reopening of the new school term on September 8.
On September 2, TTUTA Tobago officer Bradon Roberts said he learnt that no repairs were done to at least 12 schools during the July-August vacation.
“We would have sent out a data tool to collect feedback on the repair programme and we have at least 12 schools, so far. We have had 21 responses and of those 21 responses, 12 would have indicated that no repairs were done at their school,” he told Newsday in a WhatsApp voice note.
“I am seeing some of the schools which I know need significant work, like St Patrick’s Government School has significant work with their electricals to be done. And at this stage for nothing to be done, I am not certain what the division is really working on.”
Roberts claimed the appointment of a new administrator in the division was not helping the situation.
“The unfortunate thing I am hearing is that there is a new administrator. I believe this will be the fourth administrator since I have been the Tobago officer. And with the constant change it takes time for the new persons to get in tune with what is really happening.
“The progressive movement that we are all desirous of is being hindered by these constant changes. The division needs to get their business in order as our education system cannot suffer any longer with these bureaucracies and technical issues at that leadership level.”
He urged the division to “sort out these things so that we could have a smooth reopening.”
In response, Hackett accused Roberts of creating panic and mischief.
She told Newsday, “We have 57 schools and owing to our budget and our prioritising of the projects, only 26 schools were attempted. Forty-five packages at 26 schools and every single school will reopen on Monday, September 8.
“The panic Mr Roberts is trying to create in the space is unwarranted. Nobody expects more than what the division set out to do, which is 45 packages in 26 schools.”
Hackett continued, “Where these 13 schools are coming from? I, as secretary of education, want to know which 13 schools because by my calculation if we have to do 26 schools and there are 57, it means we did not touch 31. The facts are that we have 57 and we only set out to deal with 26 with a $20 million budget and they will all open on Monday.”
She said she planned to conduct a few site visits and, later this week, the division would issue a formal media release detailing the specifics of the programme among other initiatives.
“But for now, those claims need to be refuted aggressively.”
Meanwhile, Hackett said Dowlath was scheduled to visit Tobago on September 3.
Dowlath is expected to meet with the division’s officials, principals and school supervisors. He also will visit the proposed site for the new Scarborough Secondary School as well as the current site at Shaw Park.
THE Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) and National Parent Teachers’ Association (NPTA) on August 1 welcomed the recent announcement by Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath but they aren’t without concern.
Dowlath announced at a post-cabinet media briefing on July 31 that the July/August vacation period will be extended by one week to balance the three school terms, but assured this will not affect the 39 weeks of teaching across an academic year.
He said this will ease teacher burnout due to the length of the first term and will allow additional time to complete repairs to schools during the summer vacation.
NPTA president Walter Stewart told Newsday the removal of one instructional week from September would need to be recovered somewhere to keep the 39 weeks of teaching for the academic year.
Although TTUTA president Martin Lum Kin also welcomed the additional vacation time, it said it looked forward to seeing the breakdown to seeing the breakdown of the 2025/2026 academic year.
Lum Kin and Stewart agreed the move had the potential to ease teacher burnout, but Stewart went further, saying apart from physical burnout, teachers also suffer from mental burnout. He said teachers’ mental well-being was being impacted negatively by the Ministry’s “delay, failure or inability to provide the necessary tools and resources for our educators to effectively and efficiently perform.”
“One such resource is the timely provision of financial releases to our schools. Such releases cater for the purchase of consumables for Caribbean Vocational Qualification subjects, requisites for IT-related facilities, payment to coaches, etc. Undue delays in these releases can cause untold mental stress and depression on our educators.”
Dowlath also announced the cabinet’s approval to hire 100 contract assistant instructors to fill vacancies in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) across 95 secondary schools. Lum Kin said these new hires may be beneficial, but warned that it should only be on a temporary basis, as priority should be given to filling the established vacancies soon.
Stewart also urged the ministry and respective school administrations to ensure that the programmes are sustainable and that the instructors are supplied with the necessary tools to effectively deliver the curriculum.
Lum Kin expressed TTUTA’s willingness to work with the minister, ministry and government for the benefit of members, students and the education sector.
EDUCATION Minister Dr Michael Dowlath announced the government’s goal to hire 100 more assistant instructors of technical/vocational education and training (TVET) subjects, speaking at a post-Cabinet briefing on July 31 at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s. He said the new teachers would serve in 96 schools nationwide (especially in Caroni and Victoria) and teach in 12 subject areas.
Dowlath vowed an immediate recruitment of teachers on contract so as to fill existing vacancies as soon as possible.
He said his ministry has worked very closely with the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).
“The government is taking this bold step to reverse years of neglect of the TVET area and governance in schools.”
The measure placed TVET as central to workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and national diversification.
Dowlath listed the TVET teaching vacancies as including: technical drawing (28 vacancies), industrial arts (29), food and nutrition (20), clothing a textiles (19), agricultural science (17), mechanical engineering (ten), electrical and electronic technology (11), visual and performing arts (11).
“This is a situation we inherited,”he said.
Dowlath said at present some 85 posts of school principal were vacant, out of some 125 positions for head.
He said the TSC has been working hard to fill these posts, including conducting 18 interviews for new principals in the past week..
Dowlath said ministry got the TSC’s permission to conduct interviews and appoint T1 teachers at primary schools. Deans and heads of department would also be assessed by the TSC.
“We expect them to be filled.” He said the measures he had announced were “good news”, especially to those individuals who were qualified to the available positions in TVET.
“We are working very closely with the Teaching Service Commission to fill as many of these vacancies for the new term.”
In the question session, he was asked about the plan to fill teaching vacancies.
Out of 165 TVET teachers in TT, he said 100 teachers would be in contrast posts, while the remaining 65 posts would be interviewed by the TSC. He said 65 posts had been vacant for four years.
Dowlath also announced an extra week of vacation for pupils before they return to school, which he said would now commence on September 8.
He said this change would help reduce the usual burnout of all parties in the firs term – teachers, pupils and parents – but still ensure no teaching time was lost.
He said this period would allocate much-needed repairs to be done to schools. Detailing the process of assessing require repairs, he said 78 contracts have been signed so far. “We are well on target.” In the question session, Dowlath said the new TVET subjects would help produce pupils who had more employability and were more work-ready, due to their skills-based education.
THE Education Ministry has started processing payments for its $20 million in book grants and supplies to 20,000 eligible students, it said in a press release on July 15.
This will be disbursed under its 2025 school supplies and book grants for students of government and government-assisted primary and secondary schools.
“The ministry is currently working closely with the Ministry of Finance to secure the required financial releases to facilitate the commencement of disbursements,” the July 15 release said.
People receiving public assistance, the unemployed and those with disabilities are to be given priority, it said.
“Applicants are reminded that they will be contacted directly via email regarding the status of their application and details of their approval.”
It said this initiative formed part of the government’s continued commitment to ensuring equitable access to educational resources.
Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath said, “Education is a national priority, and we remain focused on delivering tangible assistance that eases the financial burden on parents and guardians as they prepare for the new academic year.”
Amid parents’ concerns on social media that school placements did not reflect their children’s Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) scores, Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath says there has been no change in the placement process used by the ministry this year.
Newsday asked Dowlath on July 7, if the ministry was aware of the complaints, if they were being addressed, and what are some reasons for the variation in results and school placement.
Dowlath said the process “has not changed from previous years” and outlined the “established criteria” used in determining student placement.
He said it included “Order of merit, school choice, gender, principals’ 20 per cent selection for denominational schools, residence, and multiple birth considerations.”
He added parents were free to query their child’s results by following the guidelines outlined in the SEA parent information booklet.
He noted, though, a query might result in several outcomes, including no change to the scores.
“The outcome of a review may result in (a) No change in scores – the school assigned remains the same, (b) Change in scores – but not enough to alter the assigned school, (c) Change in scores – resulting in a change of school placement.”
Dowlath added that results still had to be reviewed by Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) but gave no time line for the completion of the review process.
SEA results were released on July 3 and the ministry held a ceremony to honour the top five students on July 4.
Although the ministry did not rank the top five students, Caroni Central MP David Lee last week claimed Sandhya Maharaj had topped the exam.
Asked about this, Dowlath said the ministry identified the top five based on the results adding, “Students were not ranked, as changes to the order may occur following the review process conducted by CXC.”
He said the full list of 200 top performers would be published when the review process was completed.
Steps to query your child’s SEA results
1. Complete and return the ‘Request for Review’ form available at the education district office responsible for your child’s primary school. This must be submitted no later than five working days after the release of the SEA results.
2. A fee of BDS$25 will be charged for the review of each test paper.
3. Obtain a bank draft payable to ‘Registrar, Caribbean Examinations Council’ from any commercial bank and attach it to the ‘Request for Review’ form.
4. Results received from CXC will be processed by the Ministry of Education and made available at the Education District Offices on a date to be announced.
The mother of a 15-year-old form four student at Holy Faith Convent in Couva says her daughter was wrongfully targeted and attacked just outside the school gates on June 10, caught in the crossfire of a “social media beef” the alleged attackers had with another student.
In a now viral video on social media, five girls are seen beating on the 15-year-old girl at the gates of the school compound.
They then dragged her into the road, where they continue their assault for another 15 seconds.
The fight was broken up by a male passerby. The five girls are then seen running away.
Newsday contacted the 15-year-old’s mother by telephone on June 10.
She spoke on the condition on anonymity and further explained the situation.
The mother said the incident occurred just around 3 pm, while her daughter was waiting to be picked up by her for dance practice.
She claimed that the girls involved in the attack were students from nearby schools in Couva.
She said they often limed near a Chinese restaurant close to Holy Faith Convent and were known for frequently getting into fights with others.
“Some other girl who is not even friends with my daughter, like she had a run-in with some of them over social media posts and they came looking for her.
“When they could not get her, my daughter was standing there innocently and they dragged her out.”
The mother said her daughter suffered injuries to her face (swollen and blue-black eyes), head and cuts on her knees.
“They beat her really bad. She has to go to the San Fernando General Hospital for X-rays and ultrasounds.”
The mother said the children of today were fighting for “social media likes.”
“They want to be movie stars and this is what it is. One of the girls, after the fight she put up a big Instagram post. The video of them beating up my daughter is just sharing on WhatsApp groups, Instagram and Facebook and they are boasting about it for the likes.”
Newsday obtained the Instagram video being referred to which suggested the 15-year-old was indeed not the intended target.
The mother said she had shared the video with the police to help with their investigations.
ACP Mystar: Arrests imminent
A statement from Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for South/Central Wayne Mystar on June 10 said the police strongly condemned the attack.
“We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards violence in and around educational institutions. No student should ever feel unsafe in their place of learning.
“This was not a random altercation, it was a co-ordinated act of violence carried out on school grounds. The safety of our children is non-negotiable, and those responsible will be held accountable. Arrests will be made.”
ACP Wayne Mystar –
Up to publication time, no arrests had been made, but according to Mystar, they were “imminent.”
He urged eyewitnesses to come forward with information that would lead to the suspects arrest.
Mystar said all stakeholders were being targeted to ensure continued school safety.
“The police are working closely with school officials, the Ministry of Education, and community stakeholders to ensure continued safety and security on school premises.
“Increased patrols and security assessments will be conducted in and around secondary schools in the region.”
Newsday also contacted Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath who confirmed the ministry had launched its own investigation into the incident.
Dr Michael Dowlath –
This marks the second school-related fight to occur in or near a school within the past week.
On June 3, a female student was hospitalised following a fight at South East Port of Spain Secondary School (SEPOS).
That student suffered a fractured nose, broken tooth, blood clots in her eyes, and other injuries as a result of the attack. The alleged attackers were suspended from the school.
During a post-cabinet media briefing on June 5, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said children who assaulted or delivered beatings to others in school would be expelled, face criminal charges and be forced to enrol in the Military-Led Academic Training (Milat) programme.
Persad-Bissessar said there would be a zero-tolerance approach to school fights.
“Going forward we will treat every occurrence of assault or beating as an expellable offence in schools and an arrestable offence to be put before the courts.”
She said children must not be allowed to get away with criminal acts because it took place in a school.
“If someone is 15 years old and robs you, or assaults you, or extorts you, they are arrested. However if they do the same thing in a school uniform they are getting a free pass.
“It doesn’t make sense that a school uniform is a licence to break the law. This must stop!”
On June 10, Dowlath told Newsday during his visit to SEPOS on June 6, he spoke to the Homeland Security Minister (Roger Alexander) who said a team would be formed “look at the schools where these incidents present themselves.”
“We are taking this very seriously and we are doing it very systematically.”
Chairman of the Holy Faith Sisters Anne Gomes-Phillip said they, too, were aware of the situation and had put the necessary steps to deal with it.
“Both the principal and vice-principal are doing what is required of them. They will do a report and ensure the students are safe and will make a report to ministry officials.”
Asked if they would increase the security outside the school, Gomes-Phillip said, “The police station is just across from the school. Everything is being examined carefully and things will be put in place.”
The mother of the 15-year-old girl urged parents to get their children involved in extra-curricular activities.
“My daughter is a dancer. After school she has activities. I don’t spare any effort to ensure she is always in activities.
“There are a lot of free things in school and in the community. Parents need to get involved and stop letting them be out there fighting and carrying on.”
She called for “change” in order to get the school violence situation under control.
EDUCATION Minister Dr Michael Dowlath says the population must praise Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for her resilience and ability to lead Trinidad and Tobago into hopefully a brighter future.
He made these comments when he addressed an Indian Day Arrival event at Krishna Mandir, San Fernando, on May 25.
Persad-Bissessar was elected prime minister for a second time when the UNC won the April 28 general election, claiming 26 of the 41 seats.
She first served as prime minister from May 10, 2010 to September 7, 2015.
In reflecting on the significance of Indian Arrival day and the struggles of early East Indian indenturers as workers in the sugar cane fields, Dowlath said these people brought a great resilience which endures to this day and Persad-Bissessar is reflective of this.
“I want us all to congratulate her for her resilience and her ability to lead TT into a future of hope and prosperity.”
Dowlath recalled a campaign promise made by Persad-Bissessar during the election campaign and said it will be kept by the government.
“I want to remind you of a promise of our prime minister for a school for the Hindu community in San Fernando.”
The gathering applauded both of these statements.
Dowlath praised members of the East Indian community for their contribution to national development over the years.
“The children of cane farmers are leading tech companies. They are teaching and leading universities. They are shaping the policies of our country.”
He added in many temples and mandirs across TT, “our people have found ways to preserve not only religious devotion but cultural pride.”
