The principal of the Frederick Smith Secondary School has taken issue with the behaviour of a parent who was injured in a fracas outside the school’s compound yesterday.
Principal Jefferson Phillips accused the parent of taking matters into his own hands and not giving the school’s administration an opportunity to deal with a complaint he had made against a male student in relation to an incident involving his daughter on Monday.
The man had to seek medical attention for a head wound after the incident involving students and adults close to the main road leading to the Trents, St James learning institution.
Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent David Welch confirmed the incident in which a total of eight people received injuries.
Principal Jefferson Phillips
Phillips told Barbados TODAY that the parent’s action was reckless and irresponsible. He said the man visited him at 2:25 p.m. yesterday, 10 minutes before school ended for the day, to complain about the incident in which, Barbados TODAY was informed, his daughter’s money was taken away by the male student.
Phillips said he told the parent that the soonest he would be able to investigate the matter would be next Monday, since today was the school’s Speech Day and Prize Giving ceremony, and tomorrow was a public holiday.
“He left and went and waited outside the school’s compound until the boy came out and then he and another person attacked this boy,” Phillips said. “Some of [the student’s] friends got in as well and that is how the whole thing escalated….”
Phillips argued that it was impossible for principals or school personnel to govern the behaviour of adults, especially off school property. He stressed that he hoped the full weight of the law would be applied in this case.
“It reflects on the type of parents we have in the society now where people don’t care. People seem to be so impatient and they are just reckless,” he said.
“The complaint was made on Monday and the deputy principal would have dealt with it and it was drawn to my attention. Tuesday was no school and then when he [the parent] came yesterday, I told him the incident would be investigated and we will deal with the matter,” Phillips added.
“He left in here accepting that but still went outside the school compound and waited to take matters into his own hands.”