Education Official outlines measures curbing deviant behaviour in Nevis’ schools

Principal Education Officer in the Ministry of Education Mrs. Lornette Queeley Connor

NIA-CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 15, 2011) — The Department and Ministry of Education on Nevis continued to see results, thanks to several initiatives implemented in schools, in an attempt to stamp out deviant behaviour among the island’s youths but warned that students who perpetuated acts of violence would not be tolerated.

Principal Education Officer (PEO) in the Ministry of Education Mrs. Lornette Queeley Connor made the disclosure on Thursday, when she delivered a report at the second Symposium on Crime with the theme “Reclaiming out Society”. It was hosted by the Premier’s Ministry in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) on Thursday at the Red Cross Building in Charlestown. The first forum was held in May 2010.

“The position of the Department has seen a gradual change from understanding and leniency to a rigid and firm position of zero tolerance for violence. Our [Education] Department has taken the position that no excuse or reason would be an acceptable one for perpetuating an act of violence and that law enforcement would be contacted to deal with all students who violate the law and we are serious.

“Valuable time would not be devoted to deal with repeat offenders and that all subsequent infractions would be referred to the police for resolution. I repeat we are serious! We do not intend to have repeat offenders coming to the Department of Education for intervention with the psychologist. We feel that time could be better spent learning school work, that is what children go to school for, to learn school work. Of course there are other interactions which are necessary,” she said.

Participants at the second Symposium on Crime hosted by the Premier’s Ministry in the Nevis Island Administration

Mrs. Queeley Connor noted it had been made clear that children would no longer be brought to the Department for meetings.

“We are asking parents to send their children to school to learn and we are asking children when they go to school to stay in school and learn do not fight, don’t curse, don’t throw stones don’t do anything where you are acting in contravention of the school rules,” she said.

According to the PEO, the Education Department continued to do all in its power to curb incidences of deviant behaviour and spoke to a number of initiatives that had been implemented at both Primary and Secondary schools on Nevis.