The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC schools across the country will enter a “much stricter environment” this September, with new rules requiring student ID cards, security escorts for visitors, and tighter campus controls, part of changes announced by Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin.

“We have brought a special focus to enhance security on campuses,” she said yesterday, noting that the government is responding to a pattern of violent or disruptive incidents. “Every year it’s evolving. The more foolishness we see, the more we have to really refine what we’re doing.”

The new digital student ID system, currently in development with the Ministry of Finance, will verify and regulate access to school campuses. “We’re working... for the production of these cards which will be digitally checked and verified to allow students access onto the campus,” Mrs Hanna-Martin said.

Visitors, including parents, will be escorted to designated areas. “That parent will be escorted on the campus into the space where they seek to go, to ensure there’s no issue along the way,” she said.

She also confirmed that metal detectors are already in use, and that a former assistant superintendent of police is now leading a revamp of national school security. “We expect September to see a really... stronger security presence for anyone who enters that campus.”

The ID rollout will rely on the ministry’s Education Management Information System (EMIS), which already contains detailed student records. The challenge now, Mr Hanna-Martin said, is ensuring the ID cards are produced in a secure, non-duplicable format. No price tag has yet been given for the project.

The minister also announced progress on special education support, with a new database tracking students with special needs and plans to hire aides where necessary. “We are seeking to put in place aides for those children that need assistance,” she said.

Testing and placement capacity have also expanded, with hundreds of students recently diagnosed and placed through the Marjorie Davis Institute, though Mrs Hanna-Martin acknowledged the waiting list is constantly replenished.

“We bring a special, singular focus to children with special needs,” she said.