French Quarter/ Marigot: --- Parents, teachers and students of the College Mont des Accord and other high schools on the French side participated in a protest march on Tuesday protesting against violence in schools.A delegation met with the President of the Collectivity of St. Martin where the concerns of the parents and teachers were presented. The protestors also formulated a petition which was presented to the office of Robert Romney, representative of the Rectorat.
Teachers and students of the French Quarter College were caught by surprise on Tuesday morning when they found the gates of their school heavily chained and padlocked. Directress of the institution Janine Hamlet said no one officially informed her of the protest march. She said while she is understands the need to stop the violence in schools it is rather anti-democratic for those organizing the march to lock down the school. Hamlet said she believed the gates were locked during the early morning hours and the gendarmes had to visit the school and cut off the chain and locks.The gates of the College Mont des Accords were also chained and padlocked throughout the day on Tuesday.
Close to two hundred persons took the streets as they attempted to send a clear message to those in authority. Organizers of the march said that they spoke out constantly about the constant and increasing violence in schools due to overcrowding, security and other safety concerns and no one paid attention.
