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UPDATE: ESHS teachers peeved with outcome of Minister meeting
Several teachers spoke with Virgin Islands News Online last evening and all were peeved by what they described as “dictatorship, highhandedness, disrespect, heartlessness and out of tuned with reality” in the handling of the matter of “out of control” students.
Teachers at the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) had threatened industrial action following developments that occurred on November 15, 2013 where a student allegedly confronted the principal in a threatening way after being handed a period of suspension. This promoted the responsible government Minister to call a meeting with the disgruntled teachers to ventilate the matter and chart a way forward.
They all reported that the Education Minister un-categorically and emphatically stated that he will not be expelling any of the students. “Despite the fact that we have a child that was so out of control to go to the level of disrespecting our principal in the grossest of manner, that child has to return to our classroom among our teachers, among our students who are begging for a stable environment to learn and he is saying he is not expelling any student!” exclaimed one teacher.
Another said he found it an uncaring gesture of the Minister as he allegedly wasn’t prepared to listen to their suggestions but rather came with his high-handed fixed decisions. “He came to us as if we were children ourselves, he didn’t come with an open mind to discuss anything, he had his decision made and that was it. He isn’t listening to nobody. Now we got to just go back to school tomorrow morning prepared to face some of those out of control kids and have them do as they so please,” said the distraught teacher.
It was explained to this news site that five of the fifteen students involved in a fight on November 15 will be back in the classroom today November 19, 2013 while the other 10 are likely to be back in the classrooms after a period of suspension. “You tell me what is that, an un-apologetic student disrespected the head of the school, not another teacher, not a cleaner, not a fellow student, the principal of the school and in ten days he is back in the classroom, no man, something definitely wrong right there, right there something is so seriously wrong,” one unhappy teacher said.
They further alleged that Minister Walwyn said the Department of Education will be working with the Social Development Department to develop a remedial programme for the undisciplined children, “We have no confidence in that, they need to get those children out of the school, that’s what we asked for. Let their parent take up their role and deal with them we have no right to have to deal with them at the extreme, let the parents send them to private institutions while Education and Walwyn develop their remedial programme,” one teacher said.
They all agreed that the Parent Teachers’ Association needs to take on a stronger position in dealing with matters and has been so advised. “What the PTA is going to do about this? I really don’t know. What we are going to do about this? I really don’t know, but the dictator has spoken and we are not happy,” a very upset teacher remarked.
Minister for Education and Culture, Hon. Myron V. Walwyn has repeatedly insisted that he will not speak with this news agency and repeated calls to his mobile phone paid for by government and tax payers money goes unanswered when called by reporters of Virgin Islands News Online. This has resulted in no explanation forthcoming.
It is not clear whether the teachers will take industrial action as threatened.
See previous story posted November 17, 2013
ESHS teachers threaten industrial action after student disruption
Teachers at the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) have threatened industrial action following developments that occurred on November 15, 2013 where a student disrupted furniture in the principal’s office after being handed a period of suspension.
A meeting is reportedly planned between the Principal, Mr Wade W. Tobin and Minister for Education Hon. Myron V. Walwyn for Monday, November 18, 2013 to discuss the issues that have arisen.
It was revealed that teachers have planned the sick out if no approval is given for their recommendations to have students on a list for expulsion removed from the school. Fifteen students are reportedly listed for expulsion.
“If he says no then we have meeting in the afternoon of that same day to plan a course of action in terms of a sick out,” one teacher told Virgin Islands News Online.
The list was allegedly sent to the Minister on at least one previous occasion and the students were reportedly allowed to return to the school.
Teachers have reportedly become frustrated after students at the school have become increasingly disrespectful towards them.
One teacher reportedly discovered a machete hidden in an umbrella on the school compound on the same day that the incident occurred in the Principal’s office and there have been reports of various weapons being found in the past on the school’s campus before.
“These children are bringing in all kinds of knives, machetes and tazers… How is it that teachers are finding these things on campus?” one teacher questioned, “Clearly somebody is bringing it on [campus] for use.”
One student who was allegedly discovered with a gun recently by police officers allegedly threatened to shoot a teacher several weeks before this had happened.
Several fights involving students have also occurred on the streets immediately outside the school on consecutive Fridays including the same day the incident occurred in the Principal’s office.
See previous story posted November 15, 2013:
Suspended student allegedly wreaks havoc at ESHS
- Police officers summoned; fought off by lone student in Principal's office
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Reports just reaching Virgin Islands News Online indicate that a student who was allegedly handed a term of suspension started a commotion within the Principal’s office at the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS), which resulted in several damages earlier this afternoon, November 15, 2013.
Four officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force were reportedly summoned to provide assistance but they were allegedly met by severe resistance from the student.
It was further alleged that the third form student was eventually subdued after he had knocked down several items about the room. It is unclear whether the student is still in police custody at this time.
According to reports, the student was allegedly recommended for expulsion previously but this was reportedly denied by a senior official within the Ministry of Education.
Police Information Officer Sergeant Carl Mason confirmed the incident and stated that police officers were called to the school following a report of a disturbance earlier today. “One student was detained and investigations are continuing,” he added.
According to Sgt Mason, the student was detained on a charge of threatening behaviour.
Principal Wade W. Tobin could not be reached for comment up to post time.
Virgin Islands News Online will bring further details as this story unfolds.
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105 Responses to “UPDATE: ESHS teachers peeved with outcome of Minister meeting”
Do they check the students bags to determine if they have any form of weapons or is it somebody throwing these weapons over the fence. If that is the case Security needs to be stepped up and start patrolling.
When I was going to school we had respect for our fellow classmates and teacher. Yes we might have a disagreement but this kind of behavior is getting out of control.
If your child was on of them who was fighting and also brought a weapon to school what would you do?
Fight inside or outside the school need real security not lazy people in uniform ... I've visited that school for meeting and I never got the impression that the school is secure ... watching me write my name in a book is not security....
Parents don’t care because they don’t have to pay for their child to go to school. Let them have to fork over term fees and see how much interest they show in their children
well the intervention use to be BVI TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE! But the M*****r in all of his glory and wisdom will be discontinuing the school as of December. Those teachers over there had a knack with dealing with those kind of children. They have tamed so many wild beasts and have reaped positive rewards. Now he forced the set of students out and the shell of a building just sitting there while the taxi man getting very large 5-figure cheques each month for a building on stand still. To hell with the intervention with education, get a much needed intervention with the Minister and his team of advisers.
The P****** was asked by an individual to assist with the so called bad kids at the school but he ignored the assistance that was offered..never even called back the individual who called him twice..so ndp what..
I was right there when the police came and put b in their car. Im a student and I know what he was getting suspended for. He was getting suspended for instigating a fight. First of all, I dontthink that should have been such a big deal to start with. so he was trying to prolong the fight, but who wasn't. All of us in ESHS run to fights,videotape, dash out of class. What's the difference? Why cant u call that prolonging? If he deserves to get suspended, we all do. And yes, b knock down Tobin things,but the boy was angry. And he have the right because some of the same people who was fighting still there up in our school. im tired of my school..every Friday nowadays is something new. How much children the po po's plan to arrest. Get them some help. Come and seriously talk to us or something. I talk to the bad boys and believe it or not, they hear me out. Gansta recognise gansta. real recognise real.. That's all I have to say
Real recognise real all I Saying!!
What goes around comes back Around God knows when to move and this is his time for you . All tears that the perants and the children shead for the years are falling on your back right now and you cannot handle it. But what you preach you never practice do unto others as you would like them to do unto you. Have a bless day.
Mr T..... needs to go home if u ask me he him self need a shake up full of him self and unfair
Ben%& does smoke up...half of our kids r smoking hence y they react the way they do. Who r we to blame? D patents...where r his parents...his aunt work for d courts! Ain't like he can't do n e better...he is left alone...guess his mom too old to handle him.
Get rid of T**** he don't have passion for teaching full of him self and does not listing to both sides of the fance
Get the rid of mr T**** full of him self needs to listing more
When school brawls spill over into the streets, and the Carnival-like atmosphere can be seen on Facebook the very next day and we witness the throngs of other students cheering and enjoying the mayhem it is a sad commentary. When our police officers are roughed up as they attempt to quell the disturbances this is not just a problem with our students. When men who are tried and convicted of serious crimes and still in police custody can hurl expletives, issue threats to victims’ families and jurors and enjoy the full support of parents we are in serious trouble. These are distress signals and symptoms of a society on the brink of disaster.
Let us take it a bit further. Many (not all) of them are products of homes that have gone bad and are spilling over in the society. Like it or not, if we were to take a closer look at some of their parents we would not be surprised at the behaviors exhibited by their children in public places. Many (not all) come from homes with parents who themselves are abusive and violent and would spare no moment to tell you in no uncertain terms what to do and where to get off. Yes, just like me, you see and experience this daily even in places where you least expect this. Perfect example, just pause for too long at a traffic light and some dim witted impatient twit that has no sense of the impending danger of taking off too soon as a light changes to ensure safety. You get a honking of the horn and a “Royal Tongue Lashing” to go with it.
A society is only as good as the quality of homes that raise children. Rudeness begets rudeness and when we stop short of inculcating good values and high moral standards in our children we would reap the fruits of our own transgressions. Today in many of our homes there are little or no standard bearers as many fathers have gone AWOL (absent without leave) and some mothers are too busy cultivating unhealthy and unsavory lifestyles to care about nurturing the home. But let’s face it. Many of them are still children. Besides, modernity has transformed us into a society of selfish and arrogant pleasure-seekers. We have forgotten the importance of dinner as a social event where we gather every evening to engage our children and spouses/partners about the events of the day as it unfolded in their lives be it at school or on the job. Instead, we have homes where meals are cooked and left on the stove for each person to come and take as he or she wishes then retreat to their respective rooms to watch television or jump on Facebook or other social media for the latest hot gossip.
Consequently, we along with our children quickly adopt the values of strangers that are beamed into our homes under the guise of entertainment. Hence, we begin to emulate and portray with pride, the very lifestyles we are so inundated with and call it sophistication. Profanity, lewd and lascivious behaviors then become the norm and we think we have arrived. Why then do we pretend to be shocked and shaken by the scandals and allegations of pedophilia, incest and other such maladies in our society? Why are we surprised by the increase of violent crimes and burglaries? Why are we so surprised at the prevalence of transactional sex among both adults and teenagers?
Look around at the schools and society in general. How many people (including school children) do we see touting $500 and $800 cell phones? How many of these can actually afford them in the first place, and who provide them to our children? Oh, by the way and we naively believe that there is widespread hunger in our schools. Let’s take a reality check. This is a note to the teachers who actually believe that students come to school hungry. Take the time and call their parents and find out what is going on at home and you might be surprised at what you hear. True, there might be some real cases but these students would be too embarrassed to even disclose this fact to anyone. In short, we need to focus of these issues before we spend all our time on the politics of the day because ultimately, these issues are the issues that give rise to the politics of the day. The politics of the home have a profound and lasting impact on the politics of the country. Problem is we keep putting the cart before the horse and are quick to close the stable after the horse has already bolted and gone.
I truly feel for both Mr. Tobin, the faculty and all the students who are being forced to deal with this nonsense! I will gladly keep my two girls home if it will have any impact on the Minister's decision in this matter.
ppl child is givin trouble the same way, so that why them against the children been expelled, cause a certain child already have one stroke which was for cell phone and not a thing came out of that, so them just protectin certain children in the event that it might just happen.
Thats Y the ppl them who put him in there goin have to take him out and stop blamein the party, blame you all self for makin the wrong choice, now have to deal with this outcome................
So much talk about bullying and hostile enviroments, no one should have to work under those conditions. Putting innocent people at risk of thug activity is a recipe for disaster.
MVW shame on you, aren't these the same teachers you spent $100k to show you appreciated them? Where is the appreciation now? No photo op here huh?
Teachers don't bend, stand strong and walk out until you get the support you need.
He finally came around
Or the Auditor General to review this.....