Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 04/Nov 09:30

Police in schools: Is it helping?

IT HAS BEEN two months since the government placed police officers in certain "high-risk" schools, and many are speculating if the initiative is yielding the positive results it had hoped. It was a drastic measure in response to the seemingly unchecked steady upward trend in school violence. From the outset, TTUTA had expressed cautious support for the initiative, noting several concerns, including the need to commit the requisite resources to treat with the underlying causes of school violence. Quite recently the education minister indicated that while still early, the ministry has discerned a drop in the number of suspensions. Can this be a reliable indication of success of the initiative? Checks with school principals seem to be giving a mixed picture. While in some schools the permanent presence of police officers seems to have had an overall positive impact on student discipline, this picture is not consistent. In some schools the violence levels have seen negligible reductions at best. While it may be premature to evaluate the success of the initiative, periodic reviews would yield useful information that can promote improvement. A major concern being expressed by principals is the absence of written guidelines regarding the specific role of these police officers, inclusive of reporting relationships and their role in the context of the other officials on the school plant with responsibility for safety and security. This lack of clarity regarding the specific duties and responsibilities of police officers deployed in schools must be addressed immediately. While the Education Act clearly indicates that the principal is the seniormost official on the plant, and is thus ultimately answerable for all that happens therein, all subordinate officers present on the plant should ultimately report to the principal and, alternatively, the principal must be able to issue instructions/delegate responsibilities to all other officials functioning on the plant. Principals, however, cannot instruct any police officer assigned to their schools or directly hold them accountable for their actions. It would seem that they function based on the instructions/supervision of their senior officials external to the school. TTUTA had indeed flagged this as a concern two months ago. It was informed that written guidelines were being developed and would be subsequently provided to schools. Thus far no such guidelines have been forthcoming. TTUTA asserts that principals are within their right, given their legal obligations, to demand legal clarity on this arrangement. How can a principal know if an officer is derelict in the performance of his/her duty? Another concern that has been expressed by principals is the inexperience and unfamiliarity of these newly trained special reserve officers to the nuances of a school environment, which is hindering their effectiveness. "School policing" requires a slightly different skill set compared to normal policing. Close collaboration with other school officials will greatly assist in this regard. While some officers have adapted quite well to their assigned schools, this is not the case across the board. The inadequacy of resources to address the root causes of school violence remains a persistent concern. The external socio-economic factors that manifest themselves in the form of school violence must be addressed with alacrity. Children who hail from homes and communities where verbal, emotional, sexual and physical violence are normalised will continue to display violent tendencies, unless taught to behave otherwise. Broken homes and economic poverty, exacerbated by increased unemployment, continue to be at the core of homes and communities that produce such children. While the fighting may have been reduced on some school compounds, it continues outside some schools on a regular basis and, alarmingly, often involves more girls than boys. Reorienting the behaviour of children who were brought up on a steady diet of violence and abuse must be the priority of the school community. The record continues to reflect the ease with which negative factors external to the school, such as family and gang feuds, drug trafficking and a general culture of disrespect and intolerance permeate the sanctity of our schools. While anecdotal evidence may seems to suggest some initial success of the police in school initiative, there is ample room for improvement. These encouraging early assessments must not be misinterpreted as the magic panacea for a problem that has very deep socio-economic dimensions. Dialogue with the stakeholders would greatly assist in the programme’s refinement/improvement. School officials must have an opportunity to urgently weigh in on the issue, with a concerted effort being made to address their concerns and questions. This conversation cannot be delayed. The post Police in schools: Is it helping? appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.