A 29-year-old cosmetologist whom Police say had assaulted a teacher of the St Angela’s Primary School in Georgetown has been charged with assault and placed on $50,000 bail.
Ashelle Clement, of Lot 14 Dowding Street, Kitty, Georgetown, has not been required to plead to the charge when she appeared before the Chief Magistrate at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. It is alleged that, on January 12, at St Angela’s Primary School, she unlawfully assaulted Nicasey Barker, a teacher, so as to cause her actual bodily harm.
Clement’s matter has been adjourned until next week Friday, February 17, 2023.
Following that incident, the President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Mark Lyte, had called on the Education Ministry to do more to protect teachers.
“The union is here in solidarity with the teachers of this school. This is becoming too frequent, where teachers are being assaulted by parents and guardians; and it is something that has to be addressed forthwith. So, we are going to continue to make the call to the Ministry to take decisive action,” Lyte had told media operatives.
The Education Ministry has since condemned the physical assault perpetrated on teachers Nicasey Barker and Shawn Marshall, a Graham’s Hall Primary School teacher who was assaulted by a parent on January 11, 2023. The parent involved in Marshall’s case is yet to face charges.
Chief Education Officer (CEO) Saddam Hussain had said in a statement, “Whatever the circumstances, it (assaulting a teacher) is a reprehensible and ghastly act. It is unacceptable, and will not be condoned in the least.”
According to the Ministry, schools are considered safe spaces, and any act of violence is deemed totally unacceptable.
“When parents or guardians are engaged in violent acts against teachers, it goes against established values, norms and expectations. We cannot beat teachers and then ask them to teach our children peaceful conflict resolution,” the CEO had said.
He added that the Ministry would therefore take all appropriate actions to ensure that all teachers continue to work in a safe and secure environment. Such actions, it has been noted, include prohibiting violent parents or guardians from having access to school premises, and transferring any learner whose parent commits any act of violence on any teacher; or any other sanction deemed necessary; while the Police or any other institution or authority would be encouraged to take whatever action the law prescribes.
The CEO has reminded all parents and guardians that in any instance where an incident occurs with a teacher, the matter must be brought to the attention of the head teacher or teacher-in-charge of the school or institution.
The phenomenon of teachers being attacked at places of learning by parents or guardians, and even in some cases by students themselves, has been a cause for concern over the years.(G1)
