SOURCE: DAILY OBSERVER The 15-year-old male student who allegedly took a firearm to school has been expelled, Director of Education Clare Browne told Observer yesterday.
In late September news broke that the young man was spotted with a firearm on the Clare Hall Secondary School compound, which prompted law enforcement and education officials to enforce an immediate lockdown of the institution to facilitate a search.
However, while the weapon was not found, the teenager, along with other students, were taken into custody, but only the 15-year-old was charged.
The Ministry’s decision to expel him from the public school system came after the student admitted to bringing a loaded weapon containing “six or seven rounds” onto the school premises, during a meeting on Monday with his parents.
“You can’t bring a loaded gun into school, and you get a slap on the wrist,” Browne said, confirming that the student had confessed to the incident. “He said so within my hearing that he brought the gun into school.”
The investigation has widened to include several other students who may have been involved in the incident. According to Browne, approximately eight young men were questioned, and their parents were called in for meetings. “We met with the parents of everyone,” he added, highlighting the administration’s thorough approach to the
While the main perpetrator faces the most severe consequences, the Director of Education said seven other students have been placed on behavioural contracts.
“Those seven young men were placed on contracts,” Browne explained. “They’re required to work hard, behave well; they’re also required to perform some major community service that will be monitored by the school.”
The director added that some of these students may not have been directly connected to the incident but were questioned as part of the ongoing investigation, and community service is being implemented as a corrective measure, with the school taking responsibility for monitoring their progress.
Regarding the primary individual, Browne was unequivocal about the seriousness of the situation, saying: “Anybody who brings a firearm into school, a loaded firearm with six or seven rounds, certainly you’re endangering the lives of those who operate within the school.”
The student, who cannot be named due to his age, will not be permitted to return to Clare Hall Secondary or any other public secondary school. However, the Ministry of Education has committed to assisting the student in pursuing his education through alternative means.
“He has reached a certain chronological stage and so his parents will have to make provisions for him to continue his education outside of the public secondary school system,” Browne said.
The director’s decision reflects a zero-tolerance approach to weapons in schools, citing the serious disruption and fear the incident caused.
“It was a lot of deprivation. People were deprived of lunch … people started to feel unsafe,” he said in relation to the lockdown.
Since the incident occurred on September 27 the 15 year old has not received any formal educational or vocational training.
Immediately after the incident, he had been placed on remand after appearing before the Child Justice Board. However, he was granted bail on November 5 after a second application was made in the High Court by his attorney Peyton Knight.
He faces a charge of having a firearm in his possession in furtherance of an offence, which is an offence under Section 13(1) of the Firearm Act Chapter 171 of the Revised Edition 1992 of the Laws of Antigua and Barbuda.
While the ministry maintains its commitment to education for all students, including those who make serious mistakes, the incident has prompted a reinforcement of security measures across the nation’s schools.
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GOOD!!
Hope his parents do better. Hope he learned the lesson
This is an opertunity lost by the Clare Browne. She has chosen the easy way out.
This young man has clearly not had great parental supervision nor any sort of positive mentorship. This is where the education system should step up with counseling and the try to get this young man back on the right track. Instead, he has been banned from schools and left to deal with the same issues he obviously has been facing to get him to this point. You will most likely create a future criminal that will affect you, me and others. Think about it, when there is nowhere good to turn, you turn bad. This is what Miss. Browne’s will more than likely create. There can’t be Zero Tolerance for kids. So sad
Many will say he deserves it, but let’s remember he is only 15. The stigma on him is bad enough, but to treat him as a pariah or outcast doesn’t help society nor does it bode well for his future. It time the heads of education seek help to deal with the new generation of children. Times have changed and so must the system of education along with it.
Miss. Browne you need to have better solutions because pretty soon you will be expelling more and more kids. Time to look past the old ways of dealing with issues. It helps no one.
And we are supposed to be Christians, give me a break.
The Wire,
I share the same sentiments. When I read this article in the wee hours of this morning via the Observer Newspaper I was so shocked of the outcome.
Mr. Clare Browne could’ve very well taken a better approach to help reform this teen who will more than likely continue down a negative path because it’s clear that there are unresolved issues that needs to be addressed.
I pray this young man’s family can afford to send him to private institution and provide him with some form of external counseling to assist him to never go down this path further.
Furthermore, why were the 7 students placed on contracts? How was this any fault of theirs that a student allegedly brought a firearm to the school and they’re implicated after questioning which resulting in none of them being apart of his actions?
From my personal knowledge I can assure you that these 7 students included victims and not perpetrators. So why place them on a behavioral contract because of another students action?
Our education system is flawed and we need to take a different approach.
I would say idiot, a 15 year old brought a loaded gun to school and confessed and you think the best thing to do is expell a 15 year old from all public schools on the small island? You thought that would be the best reaction in this situation, in this small island, in this place with limited opportunity?
I would take this as an opportunity to experiment. Demanding numerous after school programs for extended hours, having him report to the ministry and or police for public service, drills, etcetera.
Demand he provides substantial increase in grades and conduct. This kid needed to not be expelled.
Expelling the kid in a small island is not smart, that is a US thing, where the child can move to another jurisdiction in the same state or even outside that state. That does not exist in Antigua idiot? You literally may have just pushed this 15 year old further into criminality endangering the public instead of doing all you can do to try to save not only this 15 year old but the public but using your authority in the ministry of education in a pragmatic way. Idiot. This is why experts in social science are needed in areas like these. Idiots.
You heard him confessed, it is a sign he can be reached. Not matter his reason to confessed and you overhearing.
These idiots that you locals vote for and give them the power to hire idiots like these that will ensure the destruction of society and our youths.
Carrying a weapon to school is a horrific act, but in light of the totality of the circumstances, the punishment was not appropriate or wise.
What was the intent for carrying the weapon? Was it to showoff, commit apprehension assault, battery or murder? You need that information to make the decision you are making here. I am not saying having the loaded gun is less wrong, I am saying dealing with this horrific wrong should have been in a more pragmatic way.
Can some body save Antigua and Barbuda from the idiots please? I beg you. I am not asking for the job to show you that this outrage is not for me to get a job. I love my job, it pays well. I will not be leaving it. But others exist with my passion and qualifications. Put them there.
Make sure these idiots read my comment and the one who made the decision here also. Idiot. And I do not know this kid.
This is a rather complicated matter and what makes it so complicated is that though there was an alleged sightings of a gun, none was actually ever found. Why so? Could it have been a false alarm? And if there was really a gun, how come it was never found and who is the owner of the said firearm? Whilst I can understand and appreciate strong action for bringing a gun at school, many aspects of this story remains a mystery and are yet to be fully explained and rationalized.