The President of the National Principals Association (NPA), Valerie St. Helene-Henry, has urged perpetrators of the gun violence in Vieux Fort to lay down their weapons.
“Put down the guns and try to reach an amicable solution to whatever is causing the violent crime, whatever is causing the war. From all indications, it’s a gang situation and it’s affecting people’s lives,” St. Helene-Henry observed.
She also expressed concern about the impact of continuing violence on the tourism-dependent economy as reports about the incidents circulate.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre announced that schools in Vieux Fort, closed the previous day amid the gangland-style fatal shootings, would re-open on Monday.
In an address to the nation, Pierre announced several measures to deal with the gun violence spike, including special police operations and 24-hour police patrols.
He also spoke of assistance from the Regional Security System (RSS).
The NPA President told St Lucia Times there would have been a lot of thought, discussion, and preparation preceding the announcement that classes in Vieux Fort would resume.
And St Helene-Henry said she hoped everything would be under control so that school life could continue normally.
Dear, do you know you all are part of these national issues? Within the confinement of ALL schools in St. Lucia do you know there is a degree of criminal mind raising from young ages.
Here are a few points to enlighten you.
1. Within the schools of St. Lucia some sells pizza to raise funds, costing some five dollars a slice. How many of those under privilege students can afford such, this is where one will bully another child to share and how much will he or she share and needles to say if he or she chooses to share at all.
2. Your schools are no longer dispensing the level of training that is required especially in more vulnerable societies within st. Lucia as a matter of fact they are heavily under resource, additionally teachers are exploiting the school system to earn money. Carry out an investigation among primary and especially secondary schools in St. Lucia and I am sure you will find beneath the carpet a teacher earning almost twice his or her salary extorting money from students pocket in some cases double the price for the same thing on the shelf in stores. Do you think criminal just born yesterday? They are grown into it.
3. Put your authority to work and don’t use a proxy union who are politically biased to defend your position take it up directly to the MOE and PM office. Don’t sugar coat it for tourism sake as a matter of fact protest when 4-5 cruise boats in the harbor.
4. Most female teachers are on drugs lord payrolls even some males, why do you think certain students can carry weed, browny cakes, scissors, knifes and other weapon in schools it is because of a broken school system and those teachers know themselves the damages they are doing but care no shit about others.
5. I personally condone the mayhem that is currently happening but do you realistically think the gangs will pay heed to your plight let alone the police force or politicians? The damages is already done and the carnage will carry on don’t think it will end like that because within the schools system and medias the type of musics they are playing add more fuel to the cause. Think of it when a gang play his 2pac, vibes Kartel and others couple with his crack you think he have time to listen to your call. What happened in the individual mind is all his childhood deprivation, neglect, wrongdoing, I’ll treatment etc just manifest into an evil person, he/she become evil and we witness the results today.
Do you know I do believe you do but turning a blind eye or just ignoring it.
Ms. St. Helen, I suggest you and your fellow school leaders to meet with the gang leaders to iron out the differences and to emphasize how their actions have adverse effects on children’s education and the safety/security of communities. Our political party leaders on both sides have failed and will continue to fail to protect us from the rise of violent crime. The gangsters are fully aware of their power. We need to reform the judicial system and change laws to address the rise in violent crime and illegal guns possession.
Another lost individual in a leadership position. Most of the criminals have been raised and harvested by your school system. Challenge the MOE and PM to have a radical change in the school system. STOP COMPETING for top marks and start concentrating on making our young people EMPLOYABLE after secondary school. Universal Education has killed our youths. A child who got 20% at common entrance is sent to a secondary school and is expected to learn the same Maths as a child who got 80%. Your system has just set up this child to be a FAILURE. He will soon be picked up by the gangs where his achievements will be applauded, and he will find something he can excel at. STOP MAKING STATEMENTS and START CHANGING THE SYSTEM.
Good luck lady funerals don’t keep yet wait for part two when everyone leave. I engage the streets this morning it’s not sounding good at all people like you don’t know what the hell is happening the only reason there are no more shootings right now is because of all the police on the road there are more cops on the road here than in Castries right now those shooters are just keeping low until they leave.
Lady. They have said so before. Anything new. Tell us when you find out.
Well based on your idiotic comments here schools should just be closed and allow the criminals to just take over because school is not a good place.