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Stabroek News

Teachers stage march for peace in Arnett Gardens
published: Tuesday | October 4, 2005

Glenroy Sinclair and Petrina Francis, Staff Reporters


Teachers from Charlie Smith and Trench Town high schools walk through sections of Trench Town and Jones Town in Kingston as part of protest action to rid the area of violence yesterday. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

SHOUTS OF 'we tired of it' echoed across the tension-filled community of Arnett Gardens yesterday, as residents gave vocal support to the 50-plus teachers from the Trench Town and Charlie Smith high schools, who staged a peaceful walk through the area.

Attired in their neckties, heels, stockings and pants suits, the teachers walked through the nook and cranny of the rival housing schemes within the community, unaccompanied by the security forces.

Mark Malabver, a teacher at the Charlie Smith High School who chaired yesterday's meeting, said that his colleagues will be meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Education on Thursday to discuss security problems at the schools.

The educators have unanimously agreed to resume school tomorrow , while they continue with their protest.

"The situation round here really bad, we tired of the gunshots," said a group of elderly women from a section of the community known as 'Zimbabwe'.

Yesterday was the second day the teachers had stayed away from the classroom, protesting the renewed violence which resulted in one student being hospitalised with a gunshot wound and another being raped at gun point last week.

The planned protest march which was scheduled to take place yesterday had to be postponed.

"Superintendent Delroy Hewitt told me last night (Sunday) that we did not apply for a permit to stage the march and that we need one," said Dennis Kelly, principal of Charlie Smith High.

The teachers have since applied to the Police High Command for a permit to stage the protest march, which is likely to take place on Wednesday.

"If they apply today (Monday), then the permit might be granted within a few hours," said Supt. Hewitt.

WIDER OUTREACH PROGRAMME NEEDED

Following the shooting and rape incidents which took place last Thursday, the teachers held an emergency meeting at the Charlie Smith High School, attended by Dr. Omar Davies.

While there are 114 schools on the Safe Schools Programme, where police personnel are placed in the institutions to reduce the incidents of violence, only 80 have police personnel called School Resource Officers.

Trench Town High School does not have such an officer, but Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Norman Heywood, who is in charge of the police component of the programme said following the incident, discussions are under way to place one or two police personnel at the school.

But the DSP told The Gleaner that there would be the need for a wider community outreach programme, as putting police in schools alone will not help to curb the problem of violence in the institutions.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) said it is in support of the teachers, administrators, staff and students of the two high schools as well as Iris Gelly Primary who have decided to take positive action against spiralling criminal activities in the school community.

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