- Teacher Robbed: An intruder breached the compound at San Juan North Secondary School, threatening and robbing a female teacher of her personal belongings.
- Security Flaws Highlighted: TTUTA President Crystal Asche pointed to long-standing infrastructure issues, including a damaged perimeter fence and overgrown vegetation, which leave staff and students vulnerable.
- Call for Action: TTUTA is demanding immediate intervention from the Ministry of Education, requesting an improved security guard ratio and the reintroduction of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for traumatised staff.
By Alicia Chamely
The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) is calling for greater priority to be placed on school security after a teacher was robbed by an intruder at the San Juan North Secondary School.
TTUTA President Crystal Asche said in a voice note on Friday that at approximately 2:00 pm, an intruder entered the school’s compound, threatened a female teacher, and robbed her of her personal belongings.
Asche said TTUTA visited the school on Friday morning to assess the compound and talk to the teachers.
He said staff pointed out a damaged fence on the compound, which they had reported “years ago,” but was never addressed.
Asche said, “Teachers are very unsafe. They’re feeling as if they do not have the level of safety that they should have, and this is added to the fact that the principal would have made representation to have the compound fence, the perimeter fence, repaired quite a number of times, literally years ago.”
“The process would have started, and it’s still ongoing. And to date, nothing done. Up to December of 2025, MTS personnel came. They walked through the compound with the principal and other personnel, and to date, nothing has started,” he said.
Asche added, “No work, so there are many breaches in the school’s defences, a lot of overgrown vegetation, both in and out of the compound, causing and providing places where persons can hide and obscure the view of the security officers as well.”
Regarding security officers, Asche said there was concern over the number of security guards posted at the school, with one senior officer and five junior officers tasked to protect just under 900 students and 87 staff members.
Asche said, “That ratio is insufficient. TTUTA looks at the number of students there, a little under 900, and the teaching staff 87. We want to ensure that they have adequate coverage, so we’re asking for a ratio of one to 10; if in the interim they could give them at least one to eight, at least that could work something to help.”
He further called for the reintroduction of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to help provide the emotional support needed by not only the teacher who was targeted, but also other members of staff who found themselves traumatised by the incident.
Asche said, however, that what was most disappointing was that they did not see any official from the Ministry of Education.
He said, “TTUTA also notes the fact that we did not see any Ministry of Education official at the school, and this serious offence having taken place and perpetrated upon one of its teachers. So, we are wondering if it is that the ministry is not concerned.”
Asche said TTUTA was calling upon the Ministry of Education to address the situation at San Juan North Secondary immediately, before another incident occurred.
