Teacher suspended over alleged child assault
(CNS): The police and education ministry have confirmed that an investigation is now underway into allegations that a teacher physically assaulted a student at the West Bay government school. Ministry officials said that in December the actions of a teacher caused a child at Sir John A Cumber Primary School to receive an injury and that the teacher has been suspended. No further details about the alleged incident have been released but the ministry stated that the incident was not reported to the school or any other public authority until 10 January.
It was then reported to the school. The education department and ministry learned about it that same day and informed the Department of Child and Family Services, who reported it to the police.
The ministry said that in accordance with the Public Service Management Law, the staff member was placed on required leave from 12 January and will remain suspended until the RCIPS investigation is concluded.
In a statement about the incident, the ministry said it has three approved policies dealing with Child Protection in School. The National Child Abuse Neglect Reporting Policy, National Safe Environment Policy and National Staff Safeguarding Policy.
It also said that the child protection reporting procedures are followed by all government schools in cases of suspected child abuse.
“Every government school has two child protection officers, which are the school counsellor and a full-time teaching or professional staff member within the school,” the ministry said. “These officers receive regular training and also provide training to their colleagues in their school. There is also mandatory training for all teaching staff on child abuse, and on the Children Law (2012 Revision) as well as the Child Protection Policies and Reporting Procedures.”
Reporting of all disclosed or suspected abuse or neglect of children is mandatory in Cayman now under the Children Law and there are strict penalties for not reporting.
“It is the responsibility of the Cayman Islands Government Education System to report the information and hand the case over to the DCFS and Family Support Unit (FSU) of the RCIPS, and it is their responsibility to carry out the official investigation,” officials stated, adding that child safety was a government priority.
The police requested that anyone with information about the incident can call George Town Police Station at 949-4222, the RCIPS Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777, the Miami-based call centre of Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS), or online here.
Category: Local News
It’s so funny how quick people blame teachers.
Little do they know how badly certain children behave, I don’t exactly know what happened in that classroom but as we all know.. there are 2 sides to a story
I take my hat off to all you hard working teachers out there, it really is true when people say we need to love teaching to be in that profession
At the end of the day we want what is best for our children
They need to know everyone deserves to be treated with respect! We have to continue to teach our children right from wrong
A chair was thrown, the child’s ribs were broken. I don’t care HOW BAD a kid is – this is NOT how you handle things. Ask questions BEFORE passing judgement. MB
Children are out of control. If the teacher did in fact cause injury to the student, a better deterrent would be the threat of the belt. Progress is not…
We have a system where mediocre at best teachers with little behaviour management skill are kept in the school system for various reasons. Fix that first. Stop hiring substandard teachers or our school system will always be in crisis. It can never be right to use violence. Nirthwood is full to capacity if people who were beaten with a belt or other instrument. It didn’t work for them.
Thank you @5:35!! If they want to see who has the lack of behaviour, take a surprise visit to the schools or better yet, put CCTV int he classes and around the schools.
There are teachers shouting and calling children names, being unfair to some especially the lighter skin Caymanians without Jamaican ties!!! If you don’t believe me go see for yourself and ask the students who have no Jamaican relatives or are not black or connected to a politician or have a parent on PTA.
Too many of these teachers are simply burnt out and just collecting a paycheck
Yup. Teachers groom their pet kids and bully other kids who dont happen to jump in their church. It’s a rife and rotton situation
The education department tried to screw me over but I let them know what time it was and they never knew who they were messing with. To those teachers who work hard and other staff keep up the good work because teaching is a job that you have to love or you won’t do well at it.
Removal of Discipline is what is going on in the Cayman Islands Education system. Testing the Skills of each student by the Teacher can be used to get into class rooms every day.
and Mr. D., test the management skills and lack of prejudice with certain nationalities by the teachers
Teachers are human too!
How right you are.
I hope I never hear another negative comment about no accountability in the Civil service again.
I can’t remember a time where I have seen more Civil servants being held to account for their actions.
That’s right. Never before have we seen so many on paid 2-year vacations.
HAHAHA! Truth be told @ 9:05am!
3 years for drunk and destructive DEH employees in Little Cayman ?
I love your sarcasm
Child safety is without a doubt hight on all educators list? Lets hope DCFS can actually get a social worker from behind their desk and go and investigate.