The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) is calling for immediate, systemic reform following a closed-door meeting on Friday with education officials, where staff at Frederick Smith Secondary School shared harrowing accounts of violence in their workplace.
General Secretary Gilbert Carmichael reported on the union’s position after a meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Educational Transformation, the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU), and the Barbados Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools (BAPPSS), which followed an incident on Thursday when a teacher was struck by a rock thrown by a student.
“This was the second incident in a matter of days where a teacher was injured at the school,” Carmichael said in a statement. “The gathering provided a necessary space for open and honest dialogue. Staff members were able to candidly share their experiences and the mounting challenges they face daily within the school environment.”
He described the accounts shared by teachers as “painting a stark picture of the urgent need for systemic support and reform”.
While acknowledging the education ministry’s commitment to providing additional support and resources, Carmichael was firm in the union’s stance.
“The Barbados Union of Teachers commends the staff at Frederick Smith Secondary School for their professionalism, resilience, and continued dedication to the students in their care, especially in the face of adversity,” he said. “However, the BUT unequivocally denounces any form of violence in our schools.”
“Our schools must be sanctuaries of learning—safe and secure environments for students, teachers, and all members of the school community. Violence has no place in our educational institutions, and the normalisation of such behaviour must be rejected with urgency and clarity.”
The union called on the ministry to move beyond promises and adopt clear, structured protocols.
“There must be clearly defined consequences and protocols to address acts of indiscipline and aggression,” the BUT said. “These measures should not only respond to incidents but also deter them. School violence is not isolated—it reflects broader societal issues—and without strong, preventative action, we risk allowing this behaviour to further infiltrate and destabilise our education system.”
In a statement issued the same day, the ministry announced that Frederick Smith Secondary will remain closed on Monday and reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on student-teacher violence.
“This day will be used by staff to collaboratively plan the way forward, with a focus on implementing solutions—particularly in the areas of student discipline and campus security,” Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw said.
Citing Section 64(1) of the
and pledging full enforcement, she added: “I have already spoken with the commissioner of police, and we will ensure that this section of the act is fully enforced. It must be clear to all—students, parents, and staff—that schools are to be zones of peace. We will take all necessary steps to uphold this standard.”
The ministry further committed to working closely with school leadership and staff to ensure that Barbados’ educational institutions remain “safe, respectful, and supportive environments for teaching and learning”.
The developments follow escalating concern among education stakeholders and civil society over repeated incidents of violence at the same school and other institutions in recent months. Both the BUT and BSTU have been vocal in demanding systemic change, warning that the current climate undermines teacher safety and compromises the integrity of the education system.
“The BUT remains committed to advocating for safer schools and will continue to press the ministry to take proactive and sustained action to stem the tide of school-based violence,” Carmichael said. “Teachers must not work in fear, and no educator should feel unsafe in the execution of their duties. We stand firm in our position that violence in schools must never be normalised, and we will not tolerate it in any form.”
(SZB)
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