PHILIPSBURG:--- Teachers at the Ruby Labega School in St. John's decided to hold a 'sit out' until the Ministry of Education deals with the ongoing violence against teachers at the school. The teachers told SMN News on Friday morning that they were forced to take action because a 12 year male student of the school threatened one of the teachers on Wednesday. They said the student went as far as threatening to burn the school down and to set a bomb in the teacher's car and scooter. "This student cursed the teacher, he then said he knew how to make a particular bomb and he will place it in the gasoline tank of the teacher's vehicle so that it could explode." The teacher that was threatened was not present during the "sit out" when SMN News visited the school on Friday.
Teacher Marlin, a third grade teacher at the school said that the incident occurred on Wednesday and this is the "straw that broke the camel's back" causing them to resort to the kind of action they are taking now. Marlin said that on Wednesday the student was escorted from the school by police when he made the threats. "We called the police when this incident occurred and that student was escorted out of the school by police but we do not know what happened from there, because he is in school today."
Later that evening (Wednesday) at 6pm the principal of the school sent an email to the Head of the Department of Public Education Glenderlin Davis-Holiday and the Inspectorate informing them of the situation. "The principal sent the email the moment she had time because she had other matters to deal with, the following morning she sent the documents to support the complaint she filed with the department in order for the Department of Education to take action but instead of taking the necessary actions such as suspending the student, the department informed the principal that the student could not be suspended because the information was sent to them one day too late. The teachers said that the Inspectorate and the Department Head Davis-Holiday told them that the information "the letter and documents" had to be sent during working hours on the day of the incident. However, the teachers said they have 24 hours in which to report complaints. "We want to make clear this is only one incident, teachers at this school are being threatened every day, we are being insulted and the students know they can do what they want because they get away with it. Even when we send them to the office they know going to the office has no repercussions because only children have rights, not teachers."
The teachers further explained that the student returned to school and was in school on Friday while they conducted their "sit out" in the staff room and he made comments such as him being untouchable. When asked by SMN News if the parents of the student were convoked to the school, they said they called in the parents several times and the parents are telling them that they don't know what else to do and they do not even know how the child became the way he is. "His parents told us to spank him but that is against the law, we are not allowed to beat students, we cannot even put them out of the classroom since the compulsory education policy was implemented. The teachers who are obviously at their wits ends said that they know that children coming from the British countries cannot do what they are doing on St. Maarten in their own country. "We do not want this to become a topic of nationality because the intolerable behavior is coming from students across the board. However, we know that some countries do not allow neither accept this kind of behavior."
Marlin and the other teachers that were present said that they are being called names such as "bitch", students are even hitting the teachers, and they are using foul language at them. "This trend has been taking place months now and they did everything legally to get the department to take the necessary actions but to no avail. The principal is doing everything in her power to get those in authority to take the necessary actions.
The teachers said when they got the information that the student will not be suspended they decided to start the sit out. They said they are concerned about the safety of the school and the other students that attend the school because they have over 250 students in attendance. "We have students as young as four years old at this school and here is a situation where a student is threatening to burn down the school and authorities are telling us that the information from the school was sent to them too late."
The teachers further explained that when Davis-Holiday heard that they were in a "sit out", she visited the school and informed them that the student will be suspended for three days and they should get back to their classrooms. "Davis-Holiday came here this morning and she told us she is not answering our questions neither would she be listening to our concerns. Her only purpose for the visit was to tell us that the student will be suspended for three days and we should go back to work. We are not satisfied with the decision taken by the Department Head, therefore we are writing a letter to the Minister of Education while we continue to sit out until proper actions are taken.
The teachers said they already informed the President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) Claire Elshot who is currently in Anguilla attending a conference. They said Elshot promised them that she would address the matter with the Minister of Education when she returns to the island. SMN News could not reach the Head of the Department of Public Education Mrs. Glenderlin Davis-Holiday on Friday for a comment.