Principal condemns assault of Ascot High student

Ascot High Principal Shannell Talbert said he has been left disappointed after one of his students was physically assaulted by a parent in the vicinity of the Portmore, St Catherine-based school on Wednesday.

According to Talbert, the incident took place after dismissal.

A widely circulated video of the altercation shows the 13-year-old female student being accosted by a woman while a group of students looked on. The student was subsequently punched in the face by a man, causing her to fall to the ground.

The woman was heard shouting; “Mi wi kill one a unno fi har!”

Talbert told The Gleaner late yesterday that the school was still investigating the matter to ascertain the cause of the conflict.

But according to reports, the clash arose from an unsettled dispute between two students, which was seemingly not satisfactorily addressed by school administrators.

“I was disappointed, but at the end of the day, we still have to deal with it, and we still have to ensure we are providing the guidance and encouragement to all those involved. That’s what we have to do,” Talbert said.

Acting Divisional Commander for St Catherine South, Hopeton Nicholson, said a report was made to the police by the parents of the student who was assaulted and their investigation is progressing.

He is urging parents to set an example when resolving conflicts.

“I want to implore adults not to abuse children. If they have differences, try and treat with it in a very amicable way and not resort to any form of violence,” he said.

Child Protection and Family Services Agency CEO Rosalee Gage Grey also denounced the act. She encouraged parents to use the official channels within the school system to address their disagreements.

“Violence is just not acceptable,” she told The Gleaner. “These are children having their disagreements. How can we help them as adults to mediate those differences, whatever they may be, and use the official channels within the schools? You have the parent-teacher association that you can go to and voice your opinion. If you feel like your child was assaulted at school, there’s also recourse through the police.”

National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) President Stewart Jacobs said the adults involved could face criminal charges.

“Whatever the cause of the disgruntlement for the adults and/or child(ren) in this video, we expect the matter should have been reported directly to the school and/or authorities for the appropriate actions to be taken. These adults had no right to attack a student, be it on or off the school compound,” he told The Gleaner.

Stewart also expressed concern about the increase in acts of violence in schools recently, calling for better conflict-resolution skills.

“We must desist from using violence to solve problems, and we should learn dispute-resolution skills. As adults, we are required to set the proper example for our children to model,” he said. “The NPTAJ is reminding all parents to support and promote discipline among our children as well as ourselves, so that our country may begin to heal and function normally.”