The Superintendent Minister of the Anguilla Methodist Circuit, the Rev. Lindsay Richardson has issued the following press release in which he condemned the recent acts of violence at the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School.

“The recent violent attack meted out by students on other students at the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School is one of several incidents over the past few years. Such behaviour cannot be condoned or tolerated in our schools. This pattern of violent behaviour not only threatens the safety and smooth running of the school, but it jeopardizes the safety of all who work in the school environment. Even teachers have been victims of such attacks by so called students.
“What is alarming is that the teachers seem powerless to even take any kind of action to demonstrate concern for their own safety. Less severe incidents have sparked widespread civil disobedience in other parts of the world. As a society nothing seems to bother us, and if it does, we simply make it a subject for gossip.
“Is it that we live in a society now where the rights of the child supercede the rights of any other individual? Is it that we live in a society where children not only have a right to an education, therefore cannot be expelled, but they have the right to maim and severely injure other students and teachers and nothing can be done about it? Is it that our laws no longer protect us from such violent criminals in our schools? Are the reports of drug trafficking in our schools really true? Is it true that there are gangs in the ALHCS, and there are turfs demarcated in our schools where some students dare not tread? Is it that nothing can be done legally to rid the school of such undesirables? Do the other children who want to learn and live a violent free and drug free life in school have the right to do so? Who has authority to clean up the mess in the ALHCS? Is it the responsibility of the Principal, the teachers, the parents, the Board of Governors, the Ministry of Education? Is it an education problem or a problem of criminal proportions? Is this matter for the police or the Welfare Department? Will prayer alone fix this problem?
“We have lived too sheltered a life in this island. Not even the social unrest in other islands in the region challenge us to recognize where we are heading as a society. Attempted murderers do not belong in school with other children who simply want to get an education. Drastic incidents such as these require drastic measures to correct them.

“THE TIME HAS COME FOR ZERO TOLERANCE TOWARDS VIOLENCE, AS WELL AS DRUG USE AND DRUG TRAFFICKING IN OUR SCHOOLS WHERE THEY EXIST.

“NO CHILD’S EDUCATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE HEALTH, WELL BEING AND LIFE OF ANOTHER CHILD.

“As a society we have to find somewhere else to rehabilitate such criminally minded persons, if they cannot be put in prison. If we fail our youth today, we will reap a bigger harvest of blood and tears tomorrow.
“As a Church we pray for the recovery to full health of the students and others injured in recent violent attacks.”

Rev. Lindsay Richardson

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