Neighbours, including several business people near Carapichaima West and East Secondary Schools, yesterday revealed jaw-dropping and shocking revelations of students meeting and having sex on the road, in parked vehicles and on people’s private properties.
When the T&T Guardian visited the area yesterday, several residents of Friendship Hall Drive and Mc Leod Street, Chase Village, Carapichaima, admitted many students attending both schools are totally out of control, unmannerly and rude. One woman, who asked not to be identified, said she had several run-ins with the students from the Carapichaima West School and described it as utterly disgusting. “Teachers from the school had to call me several times to inform me that pupils were stripping and kissing in front my yard and to chase them away. “One example was that one day, this male pupil from the East Secondary School had his hand up this girl’s skirt and they were kissing and carrying on. “I was shocked but had to run them away. I don’t know where they went after but it is disgusting,” she added.
Another resident, who identified himself only as Samuel, said every day was either fights or “street porn.” “They does be lined up to meet the fellas and them, some from the area right here and some from neighbouring schools. Bring back the corporal punishment in schools. Bring in the police,” he said. A Form One pupil said he became traumatised after he was a victim of bullying and “school-taxing” (where a child is bullied to hand over lunch money). He said he was even scared to tell his parents what happened to him because he did not want to be beaten by the older students.
A Form Three student said he was forced to turn his back while in the classroom while others performed sex in the back of his class. “They does tell we to turn around and we does only hear them. Some of them does be video taping everything and sending it to other children from the east school,” the student said.
A teacher of one of the schools confirmed there were critical issues to be addressed at both schools, including sex, violence and drugs, and added they were forced to remain quiet on the issues. The teacher said: “We try our best to teach these children but they are so rude and rough toward us. “There are those who do exceedingly well academically but then there are the ones who are determined to be continuous rebels. “I am afraid for my life when these children start fighting and cursing us but I can’t do anything about it. I was not surprised to see the article on the Guardian today (yesterday) and I was not surprised to see that my principal denied it as well.”
Teachers Talk
A senior teacher at the school commented under the sharing of the T&T Guardian’s article on a Facebook page, saying it was totally false and fabricated and challenged others to provide their evidence. Seconds after the post was created, a reply was made by a teacher, identified as Nerukhi, who agreed to have the post quoted in the T&T Guardian. The teacher told the senior teacher, (name called): “I totally understand your position (being in a situation and seeing it reported otherwise). “Please, however, kindly excuse those of us that still accept what we read in the newspapers. It would be really helpful if the real facts were told or maybe a retraction of the story. “However, many of us have had experiences similar to this one. Many of us have the bruises and scars from parting fights between students, etc, and therefore we can relate. So please excuse us.”
TTUTA/NPTA concerned
President of the National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA), Zeena Ramatali, said yesterday that upon attempts to get in touch with the school’s PTA body, it was discovered the school’s PTA had for some unforeseen reason left the NPTA. She, however, noted they were trying to have the school’s PTA returned as a member of the NPTA. “We are doing this because we have found that, yes, the school has several issues going on and we are trying to get the PTA back on board,” she added.
T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) president Devanand Sinanan when contacted yesterday admitted that the nation’s teachers, not only the ones at CWSS, are under siege. He said: “This is nothing new and unique. Teachers are fighting hard to deal with their complete breakdown in discipline among the pupils. The teachers’ hands are tied legally because all the pupils cannot be searched just like that...so what can they really do? “They are fearful for their personal safety. They are forced to work under duress and they also retreat from performing their duties. “The teachers are not to blame and the Ministry of Education is not to blame. A lot of parents are not parenting properly so there has been a breakdown in the fabric of society. There is a complete breakdown of law and order.” He added there should be implementation of counseling and anger management sessions for the entire pupil population.
