Police investigating a fight outside ESHS.
Photo Credit: Melissa Edwards/BVI Platinum News
Police investigating a fight outside ESHS.
Photo Credit: Melissa Edwards/BVI Platinum News
The Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) has recorded a decrease in the number of fights taking place on the campus of the school; however, it is possible that there was under reporting of fights.
In response to questions in the House of Assembly this week, Hon. Myron Walwyn, Minister for Education and Culture said within the population of the high school, the number of fights that were recorded on the campus during the 2009/2010 school year, based on the data collected via PowerSchool was seventy-seven (77). He said via the same mode of data collection, the number of fights that were recorded during the 2010/2011 and the 2011/2012 school years were sixty-eight (68) and thirty-six (36), respectively.
Hon. Andrew Fahie, First District Representative and former Education Minister asked the Minister if there was an increase in fights over the years, what would the school's administration list as the contributing factor(s) and if there was a decrease, then what would the school's administration list as the contributing factor(s).
Minister Walwyn explained that in reference to his answer to the first question on the figures, the number of fights at the Elmore Stoutt High School decreased. He said on the PowerSchool system, the events were recorded as simply suspensions for fighting.
"It is possible that there was under-reporting of fights as the system collected information on suspensions. To determine the contributing factors for the fights, the hard copy logs were gathered and perused, but no reasons were listed in most cases."
He added, "Allow me to inform this Honourable House that because the logs did not contain the reasons for fighting, the existing school administration was asked, based on their experience and memory, to identify in their opinion some of the reasons why the students fought. Madame Speaker, allow me to list just a few - posse territory invasion, alleged stealing, name calling, bullying and teasing."
Minister Walwyn further stated that the school's administration noted that it was difficult to state a reason with any certainty for the decrease in fights and no research has been done and therefore it is difficult to pinpoint or say with any conviction what contributed to the decrease.
