Arima students beat MTS guards

Newsday sources said at about 10.15 am, an alert was raised that there was a fire in the boys’ bathroom. Two MTS guards responded and extinguished the small fire. When the guards attempted to apprehend the students to question them about the fire, the students allegedly struck the guards with pieces of iron.

Teachers and students scampered for safety during the incident. When Newsday visited the school, security guards said there was a "scuffle" between some of their colleagues and students, and the students were spoken to.

They refused to provide further information.

However, Newsday sources said officers from the Arima police visited the school, but were told they were not needed.

Some members of staff felt the police should have intervened, and the Fire Services should also have been called to investigate what started the fire.

They said it was not clear if the fire was a prank, or an effort to burn down the school, or if the children were smoking on the school premises.

Sources said several Form Five students were involved in the incident and were later called to an assembly by principal Cheryl Ann Wilkinson, from which teachers were debarred.

The assembly was held in the audio/visual room. Newsday was also told that Form Five students should have gotten the week off in preparation for CXC exams on Monday, as is the practice in other schools.

However, sources said school officials did not allow the students the time off. The school has room for 1,400 students but there are only 600 on roll. One source told Newsday on any given day there are only about 400 students with a staff of 100.

Teachers are hoping that the Ministry of Education resolve the many issues at the school, before the school is converted into a seven-year institution in September.

Enquiries about the incident at the ministry were unanswered.