Alexandra School Stabbing Incident Prompts Concerns About School Violence and Safety

Just a week after the Ministry of Education announced enhanced security measures at the island’s schools, a student at the Alexandra School was stabbed during an altercation on the campus on Monday, halting classes and intensifying concerns about violence in schools.

While specific details about the altercation remain unclear, residents near the Speightstown, St Peter secondary school told Barbados TODAY that police arrived shortly after midday. In a press statement, the Ministry of Education confirmed the injured student was treated at the Maurice Byer Polyclinic and later discharged.

The school was closed at 2 p.m. to allow for investigations but will reopen on Tuesday for a Founders’ Week service celebrating its 130th anniversary. Counselling services will be provided to those in need following the incident, the ministry added.

It is not yet known what weapon was used in the stabbing or the ages of the students involved.

“The ministry remains in close communication with the principal and administration of the Alexandra School, as it continues to provide the necessary support needed for the smooth functioning of the school, in the interest of the safety and security of students, teachers and staff,” the ministry said in its statement.

The stabbing has prompted calls for increased efforts to tackle violence in schools.

President of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT), Rudy Lovell, condemned the attack, calling for collective action to prevent further incidents.

Lovell said: “This stabbing incident only serves to portray the school in a negative light. Many of our students are making positive strides, and this bad behaviour is unacceptable. Schools should be places of growth, discovery, and safety, not fear. The need to nurture, protect, and guide our youth requires collective responsibility from parents, educators, communities, and leaders alike.

“We must come together, not just in condemnation of this act but in action, ensuring that such incidents do not repeat themselves. Standing united is crucial, as the safety and well-being of our children are paramount and must always be safeguarded.”

Several parents expressed concern over the school’s communication regarding the incident. Tonya Mangal said she only learned about the stabbing when her son informed her during pickup.

“I am scared as hell. I never heard about anything like this happening down here. I feel we should start searching [school bags] at the gate; not just here but at every school,” she said.

However, another parent, Byron Gibson, raised doubts about whether schools have the resources to police large student populations.

“I don’t know that any school can provide that level of security with 500 or 1 000 kids on roll. So I’m not sure that it’s reasonable to expect schools to put security measures in place to prevent stuff like this. It’s a household problem, it’s a parenting problem as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

“We don’t have the facts as to what happened today, but the question about whether schools should put more security in place to check bags in the morning, I think that’s the responsibility of parents.”

Regarding concerns about how parents were informed of the incident, Gibson said it appeared the school had responded as best as it could under the circumstances: “I heard about it through public media. You can be dramatic and think the school should call. I’m not sure the school has the ability to reach out and contact 1 000 or so parents. If they contained the matter at school and they sought to provide medical support to the individual, that’s the best they can do given the resources that they have. I still think we expect a whole lot of organisations that have limited resources.”

Opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP) spokesperson on education, Felicia Dujon, who was at the school, voiced concern about the broader issue of violence seeping into schools from society.

“We have an increase of violence in society and now we’re seeing it exhibited at schools and we are very deeply concerned with that,” said Dujon who also expressed concern about the level of communication with parents and the Ministry of Education about the incident.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb