Farm inspector calls for standard procedures to tackle bullying in schools

Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) Acting Inspector Zachary Hippolyte this week called for the development of standard operating procedures to tackle the growing problem of bullying in schools.

Over the past few months, several incidents of bullying have come to light on social media, drawing attention to this serious issue.

In an interview with Timothy Poleon this week, Hippolyte said the situation is a long-standing problem and that he is “tired of seeing victims” fall into a state of depression.

“We get called to the school or they come to our department and there’s a sense of desperation,” Hippolyte said, explaining that sometimes “nothing happens” when students go to teachers or principals.

Therefore, he said, “we need a policy on bullying to guide the Ministry of Education, the police and the schools.”

He also said that sometimes students’ concerns are not taken seriously and are treated as insignificant.

“… You can see that child is deeply affected,” Hippolyte said, adding that “standard operating procedures need to be put in place to address that child’s concerns… It’s long overdue.”

Although Education Minister Shawn Edward recently said bullying would not be tolerated, Hippolyte said that without guidelines in place, “I don’t know … you need a guideline or a policy because with a policy, we’re on the same page.”

Furthermore, he explained, “With operating procedures, we know what to do if something happens. When it comes to discipline, I don’t think schools should operate in isolation. We have to have a standard policy, and I pray for it because it is important.”

He urged those in power to “let’s come together and make this policy work. Most of the time what teachers/principals will do is reassign the affected students to another class or the ‘perpetrators’ (if you want to use that term), but they are still in the same school, so that’s not enough.”

Hippolyte also stressed the need for more counselors in schools.

Mr Edwards made it clear that any students found filming fights with the intention of sharing them on social media will face severe consequences if there is evidence that they were involved.