THE education ministry has slapped a ban on cellphone use in schools, and imposed behaviour and dress codes on students and teachers as part of efforts to curb the high level of violence in the institutions.

Minister of Education Andrew Holness, who outlined the new measures yesterday, said that as a minimum standard, cellphone use during classes and other designated times would be banned.

The minister said while there were arguments in favour of using cellphones during school hours, the ministry considered the safety of the children first.

Cellphones, which are popular among school children, have figured in a number of violent incidents in schools. Students with phones have been targets for robberies, while some have used them to call for support during fights.

There have been ongoing debates between parents and teachers on the use of cellphones in schools, with some Parent Teachers' Associations strongly advocating for their children to be allowed to use their phones. Some schools have, however, placed a total ban on cellphones and students found carry the instruments have been punished.

Meanwhile, Holness said the introduction of time-out facilities for disruptive students, the use of metal detectors to search for weapons, and the fencing of all school premises as part of their standard security measures, were also approved by the administration as part of plans to clamp down on the growing level of violence in schools.

He said all schools must be fenced and have designated entrance and exit points to give administrators more control. Visitors to schools, he said, should be screened while certain areas should be off limits to visitors.

Metal detection wands, said Holness, would be distributed to schools in a programme of no-contact searches for knives and other weapons.

In addition, the minister announced that surveillance cameras and panic alarm systems could be installed in high-risk schools. However, he did not commit the ministry's resources for this purpose.
But even with the new measures, the minister has urged school principals to be proactive in identifying potential security problems before they occur.
"Violence doesn't come by surprise; there are always indicators. Our school leaders need to be trained in identifying the precursor to crises," Holness said.
The minister, speaking at a press conference in Kingston yesterday, said there were 96 serious incidents of violence in schools last year, which included stabbings, sexual abuse, vandalism and school invasions. The most recent serious incident was the beating and stabbing a teacher by an angry mob at the Garlogie Primary and Junior High School in Manchester on January 17.

Yesterday, the minister expressed disappointment that there had not been any arrests so far in relation to the incident, in which a group of persons reportedly invaded the school premises and chopped and beat the male teacher, a day after he beat a student who did not do his homework.

"To date no arrests have been made, but the police are there, and they are not leaving until the persons who committed this act are held accountable and an example is made of them," Holness told reporters.

The minister said he had sought the support of both the Minister of National Security Derrick Smith and Police Commissioner Hardley Lewin on what he said was a criminal matter.

An officer at the Williamsfield Police Station in Manchester said yesterday that the investigation had not yet been completed as there were still outstanding statements to be collected.

"Mob beatings are never cleared up within a day because the (alleged victim) has to come and identify the persons...It's not an individual thing where you can say it's Dick, Tom or Harry," the officer said.