The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FIVE Anatol Rodgers High School students were suspended after a video captured a wild fight among them, according to acting director of education Dominique McCartney-Russell.

The disturbing clip showed female students attacking each other while others watched and egged them on. Dozens of youth ran to the fight while adults struggled to separate the fighters, creating chaos in and around a New Providence street. The video was circulated on WhatsApp and Facebook.

“We did have a number of our students who had a fight after school,” Mrs McCartney-Russell told The Tribune yesterday. “I was advised that around about 3.45pm, that there were five children who had altercations outside of the school gate. The administrators sought to part them; they would have had an initial meeting with the parents (yesterday). And those students have been given what we call a timeout, they have been suspended. They have been sent to our refocus suspension centres.”

Stressing the importance of conflict resolution skills, Mrs McCartney-Russell said the suspended students must reflect on their actions.

“It is disturbing because we don’t want our children to resolve conflicts through fighting, I’m sure you know the reasons why,” she said. “Anyone can take out a weapon (and) people could get injured. And so, we want children to be able to resolve their issues in a better way. They can use their voices if there is an issue, they can solve those issues by talking about it, having a mediator present to go through the issues, and have an adult help them to solve those issues.”

The director of education said no students were seriously injured during the fight.

“Now those children who have been suspended, they go to a refocus centre,” she said. “At that refocus centre we have counsellors; we provide anger management sessions (and) we provide coping skill sessions. So, they’re not just there, they are actually gleaning from the counsellors there. They are also going to ensure that they do their homework (and) their class assignments (and) they get that extra support that helps them to navigate conflict a little bit better.”