No place for pranks in school system, says Education Minister

FOOLISH pranks must be eliminated from the school system!

This order is coming from Minister of Education, Ronald Jones, who broke his silence yesterday regarding a video being circulated on social media which shows a schoolgirl’s hair being set on fire by a male schoolmate, who has since been charged and sent to the Government Industrial School.

Though stressing that he cannot comment thoroughly on the matter which is still in the hands of the law, Jones made it clear that such incidents must not be seen as jokes.

“Careless pranks can bring about disaster,” he warned.

“Our students have to be careful of the harm that they can do to others because the resulting effect is also harmful to you,” he said.

The Minister called on parents to constantly speak to their children about the importance of observing rules, and exhibiting good etiquette, manners and behaviour, while at the same time showing their peers love.

“Obviously, the focussing of negatives in relation to schools, even though there might be one, or two, or three isolated incidents, it brings schools into sharp focus, and then persons go into this frenzy as they do each time about how bad these young people are and all of that.

“When in fact, you have young people who need guidance, who need good encouragement to go on a path that would build self-fulfilment, build self-esteem, and bring about a sense of hope and purpose to their lives,” Jones said, as he spoke to the media yesterday at the Edna Nicholls Centre.