Trinidad Guardian – Nearly 2,000 students were suspended in a single school term during the 2021/2022 academic year—a startling indicator of rising discipline challenges in Trinidad and Tobago’s education system.
A breakdown of the figures documented in the 2022 National School Discipline Matrix showed that between April 19 and July 1, a total of 1,970 students—1,339 boys and 631 girls—were disciplined for a staggering 29 different offences.
These include serious breaches such as gambling, possession of drugs and alcohol, vandalism, robbery, extortion, cyberbullying, intimidation, bullying, as well as disruptive conduct and inappropriate behaviour.
Most alarming of all, fighting without weapons accounted for the largest number of suspensions, with 398 students (256 males and 142 females) removed from classrooms for this offence alone.
Possession/use of tobacco and vaping products led to 235 students (184 males and 51 females) facing suspensions, making it the second most common reason for suspension.
Trailing in third, 194 students were suspended for assault without weapons. Disrespect and defiance toward authority ranked fourth, with 157 students facing suspension.
The document also showed that 29 students–13 females and 16 males–had been suspended for fighting with weapons.
A total of 41 male and 34 female students were suspended for sexual misconduct, while 74 students faced suspension for lewd or inappropriate behaviour. Additionally, 91 students were suspended for disorderly and disruptive conduct.
Although bullying remains widespread in many schools, only 31 male and 20 female students were suspended for bullying or intimidation.
A further 26 students faced suspension for cyberbullying.
The report also revealed that, of the 11 students suspended for extortion and ‘taxing’, nine were male.
The 1,970 suspensions, however, are a small figure compared to the astounding 21,661 students who were suspended between 2022 and June of 2025, according to data provided by Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath last month.
The post Alarm over school violence in Trinidad; 2,000 suspensions in one term appeared first on Barbados Today.
