Summary
- Initiative Slammed: Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has condemned the government’s School-Oriented Policing Initiative, labelling it an ‘abysmal failure’ that has failed to reduce school violence.
- Social Media Distraction: Beckles criticised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for dodging parliamentary debate on the issue and instead resorting to ‘unhinged’ social media attacks against the Opposition.
- Call for Real Solutions: The PNM is demanding an evidence-based plan that addresses the root causes of violence, urging the government to stop relying on arrests and instead hire more school social workers and guidance counsellors.
By Prior Beharry
OPPOSITION Leader Pennelope Beckles is calling on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to abandon “trite social media statements” and present a coherent, evidence-based plan to combat the ongoing crisis of school violence.
In a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, Beckles condemned the ruling United National Congress (UNC) for what she described as the “abysmal failure” of its School-Oriented Policing Initiative.
The Opposition Leader’s comments come on the heels of a heated parliamentary sitting where former Minister of Education, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, piloted a motion addressing school violence. According to Beckles, the current Minister of Education, Dr Michael Dowlath, delivered a “disappointing and underwhelming” defence.
Beckles accused Dowlath of failing to present a substantive policy, noting that his inability to sustain a full presentation and his contradictory data on school violence exposed serious leadership deficiencies within the Ministry of Education.
Furthermore, Beckles claimed that the failure of the policing initiative has now been admitted by two separate members of the Cabinet, including the Minister of Homeland Security.
Rather than addressing these critical issues in Parliament, Beckles criticised the Prime Minister for taking to social media to deflect from her administration’s shortcomings.
Beckles described the PM’s online posts as an “unhinged attack on citizens,” accusing her of using condescending and divisive language—including phrases like “fake elite,” “eat ah food,” and “paedophile lodge members”—directed at People’s National Movement (PNM) constituencies.
“It is noteworthy that the Prime Minister, a former Minister of Education, could have chosen to respond in the Parliament today by making a substantial contribution on this most important issue.”
“However, she chose to forego this opportunity, and lazily resorted to her default position of provocation and attempted distraction via social media rant,” Beckles said.
The PNM leader said her party had warned from the outset that deploying police officers into schools would fail without a clear framework, defined roles, and robust stakeholder engagement.
Beckles said the government is currently relying on a narrow, reactionary approach focused heavily on arrests and expulsions, rather than addressing the root causes of student violence. She pointed out that the system is being severely undermined by the systematic reduction of critical support staff, such as guidance counsellors and school social workers.
“The nation’s children deserve far better than hot air in a plastic bag, rants on social media, and vacuous ramblings in the Parliament,” Beckles said.
She said, “The nation elected the UNC to do the work of managing the education sector; the PNM calls on the Prime Minister to rant much less, and work more.”
