The Permanent Secretary in the Department of Education, Innovation and Vocational Training has spoken about the suspension of a Patricia D. James Secondary School student after he called an ambulance for a pupil who was unwell.
“A rather unfortunate situation but we are happy that the student who was ill is recovering well – this is to the best of our knowledge,” Michelle Charles stated.
“I know that the Deputy Chief Education Officer would have reached out to the District Education Officer – the District Education Officer Two and the Principal,” Charles said.
She also disclosed that reports had been prepared.
And Charles is expected to be updated on Monday regarding necessary interventions when the currently off-island deputy chief returns.
She said she understood that a student had not been feeling well, and another student called the ambulance.
“It is my understanding that the school has a procedure. There is a process that they follow and it was felt that the student had not followed due process at the school and in addition to that he had been using his cell phone without permission at the school,” the Permanent Secretary stated.
So in an emergency there is a procedure. If the school is burning down, there is a procedure. The student didn’t use his cellphone to call his girlfriend or order food, he wanted to save someone’s life, and you tell us he broke the procedure. This is the dumbest thing I ever heard
I understand the fact that there is due process at the school but I believe that the school is taking a very very hard line in this case. A child assisting a fellow student. This should have been taken into consideration. Let’s look at this in a very similar scenario. An active shooter on the school premises. What should students do. Seek help by using what is available which is their phone. I am not in support of students using their phones during school hours however there must be a line drawn between social use and exceptional circumstances. I would like to know if the parents of this child takes this matter before the courts what would be the outcome. Guess the student and his parents would have won unless there are more to this story.
Such action on school’s part spells rigidity, the school needed to be flexible in this situation, after all this male student’s actions may have just saved the girl’s life: he needed to be rewarded not punished. Too many leaders do. Not make reasonable decisions.
Only in f**king SLU….if the child had died, they would’ve just told the parents sorry….the f**king cellphone was used for an EMERGENCY!!! Not to browse social media, or records students making videos cursing on the school compound, or to record videos of them having sex as has been the norm lately….an EMERGENCY!!!! I am sick of this country!
The PS has just created more confusion. You alluded to a pending report, just await the official report before offering a comment.
There are three sides to every story.
mYeah but all the PS said is what we ALL ALREADY KNOW. Is that what she is being paid for. SMH. ANother square peg in wrong hole at the helm of an Important Office in Lucia.
Well i agree it was exceptional circumstance and and should have been pardoned. But
I would love to hear what happened from the beginning. His side the teacher side and how they arrived at that decision. Now they have found themselves in a problem and need a solution.
Well well well, i will wait and see the outcome before i make a final comment. In the heat of the moment, the school took action, they did not look far ahead.
This child deserves local and global recognition just like u gave RSLP! This child is a hero in my book and I’m vex that he was suspended! The child in able to breathe that was left alone unattended on school property and premise was in hospital for TWO DAYS, 2 days!!!…………. Smph Award the Child don’t Punish his Jackasses! SmPH
This child deserves local and global recognition just like u gave RSLP! This child is a hero in my book and I’m vex that he was suspended! This child was unable to breathe properly and was left alone unattended and discarded on school property and premise The child was in hospital for TWO DAYS, 2 days!!!…………. Smph Award the Child don’t Punish him Jackasses! SmPH what’s with theses schools first bullying younger smaller smarter students and now this! SMPH Wake UP!.
What a bloodclart nonsense. You want the child to watch the other child die for protocol? This boy will lose faith in authority and doing anything to help others.
Absurdity and nonsense. Like living in a parallel universe. The school administrators have a big mental problem.
If you reading this my boy big up yourself you did the right thing.
SMH WE ARE SO DUMB IN THIS COUNTRY BACKWARDS MENTALITY INSTEAD OF BUILDING U THEY crush u
There should be an exception to the rule. No one things logically anymore.
Listen: Most of us don’t use our initiative. This child used his to save a life. Protocol/procedures require quick thinkers. This child should be honored with a medal for saving a life. Breathing issues and we want to follow what! procedures? Really! Listen where is the student council. If those policy makers were in this situation or if it was their child, I wonder what the action would have been. My dear child believe in your heart that you did something good and the Most High will favor you. Man only looks to destroy and blame not uplift and honor. Peace.
What is the school’s procedure? Wait until it is too late?
Based on the reason the rule was broken, the child should have been spoken to about following protocol and not be suspended for this infraction.
I’d like to think that there’s more to this story because what’s reported here simply doesn’t add up and makes little sense.
Why is Michelle still employed as PS? Wasn’t that a political appointment by Gail? Very incompetent
I usually resist commenting but this one is a bit much. Further investigation may reveal more but, if we have to go by what we have been told so far, the student should be both commentded for his quick thinking and possibly life-saving action and informed of the preferred procedure, for future reference. Suspension is clearly not the best approach.
True student did not follow protocol, but is this situation spelled out in the Code of Student Conduct to warrant drastic disciplinary measures. There is no school nurse in schools, therefore it is best to err on the side of safety.
With every procedure/protocol there are exceptions….the article says the student called the ambulance for another student who was unwell. This does not warrant suspension …I am very happy that I longer reside in St. Lucia ..this is insanity …if this were my child I would find another place for education..
my comment we’re remove the truth hurts when i said the student was about to be sacrifice am the boy student stop that it’s the truth teacher’s are satan worker’s
Rules were ment to be broken and my child I favor u for your quick response and thinking may God continue guiding an protecting u in Jesus name I pray amen and I ask for a speedy recovery for this young girl in Jesus name I pray amen
name a school in lucia where teachers are in school by 7:30am… just name one please?
Imagine they move my comments i only thank him and they move the message a world where you been control by laws mental salary
PS you’re a mother, if it was your son that had a medical episode and a fellow student intervened and called emergency services, how would you feel. Would you punish him for breaking protocol or would you praise him. Think as a mother for once. St Lucia is really clown country because in other countries this young man would be called a hero for using technology to do the right thing.
This is such a sad situation. I don’t understand why the child is being punished for and act of kindness. We have certainly become a people of no compassion. But in a few months time you will hear and see some people strutting on stage receiving medals for all kinds of things you never hear about. . Some of the names sound Turkish. But this young child don’t deserve pat on the back. . We have to be cognitive of the fact that we all need somebody sometime. I hope a teacher never gets into a situation where a student has to risk suspension to help .
all the students should have protested near the school against this…would all of them be suspended??? then we would rally around our children…….now i see how our system fails the children…..people do not blame the kids for everything they do……if the kid rebel against teachers i see no fault in that…..what a failed education system in saint lucia that we say absolutely nothing against it…i am sick and tired of people just watching people gossiping and not taking a stand against issues like this….social media is not enough
The PS was very quick to take action on this student who was trying to assist another student by getting MEDICAL HELP. So what if procedure was not followed?. In times of Energency persons react differently; some freeze, some act swiftly as they go into hyper reaction response. He can be cautioned but Suspended. Really. He should be honored. What about the student that was bullied at another School? What action did the PS impose on the students? Were they suspended or are they still investigating?
tis is a case of the educational system bullying a student. no diffent from students bullying their peers.
The child parents should take the school and ministry of education to court. The child has broken no law. He rendered aid and assistance as expected.
I hope the student and his family read these comments. For once Lucians agree about what was the right action. Well done to the boy – those who suspended you just feel ashamed that they did not react appropriately or quickly enough. This happens a lot in St Lucia, in all avenues of life; “officials” don’t like being shown up for being slow witted and ineffective in their duties. Have seen it numerous times; in hospitals, in animal welfare and various government agencies. Wake up St Lucia – your institutions are becoming a laughing stock regionally, and in other overseas countries.
SO WHY IS THIS MAKING NEWS. IF HE DID WRONG DEAL WITH THAT IN THE SCHOOL, TALK TO HIM ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS THINKS HE DID WRONG. WHICH IS SAVE A LIFE, THIS IS NONSENSE. THIS IS SO DISCOURAGING BECAUSE IF A STUDENT OR A TEACHER GOD FORBID IS IN DISTRESS AGAIN HE OR SHE WILL NOT SURVIVE BECAUSE NO STUDENT WILL HELP FOR FEAR OF BEING REPREMANDED FOR SAVING A LIFE. THINK PEOPLE THINK.
This is wrong…yes there is a process, however in an emergency as such why punish the child for using a cell phone, when he saved another’s life. You people are too full of shit as far as I’m concerned…smh. Simple, caution the child after the fact because all he did was help his fellow school mate. Suspending was going to far.