Bullying, drug abuse reported at Tagore Secondary

Bullying, drug abuse reported at Tagore Secondary
guyanachronicle.com
March 3, 2014
- parents request urgent ministerial intervention

PARENTS of children attending the Tagore Memorial Secondary School at the Number Sixty-Four Babylon, East Berbice, Corentyne, are alleging that students are being plagued by the issues of bullying and drug abuse in the school.

This publication visited the school and subsequently spoke to various parents who said that they are fearful for the well-being of their children while they are at school.
It has also been alleged that complaints made to teachers are not being taken seriously, and this allows the violence to continue. Allegations that the teachers witness these incidents in the corridors and classrooms were also made.
Parents claim that the issue of school violence was raised at a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting, and even though teachers are seeing the students walking with weapons (including knives), they neither reprimand nor discipline them.
One student told this publication that only recently he was held in a classroom by some older students and given a beating and two male teachers passed by and saw the incident. This student also claimed that the teachers laughed and continued walking by when he called out to them. He further alleged that the teachers were present when the bullies took away his money.
A few other parents and students complained that the school does not have a proper PTA system and teachers are very hostile to them.
One parent told this newspaper that her son was absent from school for almost two weeks in February, because he had been thoroughly beaten for his money by a gang of older students.
His mother said he detailed to her that he had been cuffed and kicked about his body and shortly after he came home she asked him to undress and take a shower and she saw bruise marks on his skin and a tooth was missing.
She related that she questioned the child and he told her he had been beaten for his money and had to seek a loan from a friend to get back home.
The child told his mother that he had complained to the teacher after the incident and the teacher had promised to look into the matter. The woman said the child complained all night about abdominal pains and she was forced to take him to a private doctor for treatment.

SMOKING
Students and parents are also alleging that a person or persons unknown have been selling cannabis in the school, and the teachers are reportedly aware of this but have not been treating it as a matter of urgency.
Some parents believe that these students don’t always act off their own accord after they would have consumed the narcotic.

DRIVING
This publication also witnessed students who appear to be just about 14 – 16 years old in vehicles that are reportedly rented, driving to school. When questioned, one student said that where he is from a licence is not needed to rent a car and moreover his friend owns the rental and he can get cars for himself and friends anytime he wants.
Parents are pleading with the relevant authorities to look into the matters urgently, as they say the safety of many vulnerable children is at stake.
Attempts to contact the school and the Regional Education Officer for further comment on this issue proved futile.