Although he is reluctant to introduce closed circuit television cameras into primary and secondary schools as one way of monitoring students, Education Minister Anthony Garcia has not dismissed its usefulness nor has he discounted it as a safety mechanism.
Describing it as "pitiful" that school authorities had to resort to using such measures, Garcia yesterday stressed, "Schools must not be seen as detention centres."
Instead, he said, "They must be places of learning, comfort and enjoyment."
Garcia said while he was "saddened that we had reached the stage where we have to install surveillance cameras," he was hopeful that "it is not the way we have to go with all our schools."
Acknowledging that there were students who exhibited deviant behavior, the minister insisted, "We have to weed them out."
Questioning why students were locking themselves in classrooms all day to gamble on the school's compound, Garcia vowed, "This has to end. Gambling will not be tolerated."
Revealing that the ministry and other stakeholders were collaborating on several initiatives, Garcia has promised an update when the new school term begins on April 11.
Just last week, principal of the Arima North Secondary School revealed the secret behind her success in erasing the stigma attached to her school several years ago.
Vashti Ramdeen-Steele detailed the initiatives used to regulate both teachers and students, and monitor performance both in and outside the classroom with the use of CCTV's.
Acknowledging that her school had once been labelled a high-risk institution, Ramdeen-Steele said they now conducted daily body scans and searches of all 960 students before they entered the school; had introduced strict regulations for visitors and workers on the compound; implemented a strict dress code for all persons on the school's premises; and used cameras to detect criminal offences on the compound and also identify students engaged in deviant acts.
Garcia said he was aware of the transformation as this school previously had a lot of students who were exhibiting undesirable behaviour.
However, with the intervention by the principal and school management team, he said they had witnessed a reduction in this type of behavior.
Providing an update on the situation at the El Dorado East Secondary School where 21 students have been identified for removal as a result of deviant behavior, Garcia was unable to confirm if all the parents had been notified or if all the suspension letters had been distributed.
He said suspension letters had been prepared for the 21 students and instructions had been given for them to be delivered and that they had even sought the assistance of the police in the process.
Declaring that "Everything was on stream" for the enrollment of the students at the Learning Enhancement Centre which occupied the former Couva West Secondary School, Garcia said the remaining ten students will be assessed while remaining within the school environment.
Asked how this would be done, Garcia explained that there were school deans who had responsibility for enforcing the school rules, along with the principal, school supervisors, guidance officers, school safety officers and social workers.
Garcia said the Student Support Services Division of the Ministry of Education includes psychologists and, from next term, almost 500 officers would be deployed to schools across the country to assist with the smooth running of the institutions.
At the Chaguanas North Secondary School, Garcia again appealed to parents to join hands with them to rehabilitate students who were suspended several weeks ago.
He said 13 students had continued to attend classes at the Learning Enhancement Centre, while the remainder were over the age of 16 and had to be compelled by their parents to attend classes.