The Tribune

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd has decried the demonstration by a small contingent of SC McPherson Junior High School teachers that occurred Friday morning, insisting this broke an industrial agreement with teachers and the public school system.

Some teachers walked out of classes and vowed not to return until authorities get a handle on the conflict which erupted after a rumour about a teacher in aftermath of the tragic death of an SC McPherson student in Dairy Queen two weekends ago.

Robert Valcom Jr, 15, collapsed and died at Dairy Queen’s Southwest Plaza location on April 6.

Bahamas Union of Teachers area vice-president for New Providence Vernon Rodgers told The Tribune some students started a rumour that the boy died because a teacher denied him access to medication during an extracurricular Saturday class.

Mr Lloyd, however, fervently denied this rumour to The Tribune, noting no teacher has the authority to administer or withhold medication.

Mr Rodgers also said as the rumour spread, students began “threatening the teachers verbally, chanting profanity throughout the school, vandalising classrooms and stealing teachers’ personal items throughout the school.”

When contacted earlier this week, Mr Lloyd confirmed the Monday after the student died, “students began chanting or repeating a rumour that began that the teacher was responsible for the student’s death because the teacher did not provide the student with his, I presume, medicine.

“First of all, that is not true,” Mr Lloyd emphasised. “The rumour is false. The teacher is not authorised - no teacher in the public school system of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas has the authority and will not administer medication to a student. The teacher is not a medical practitioner, the teacher is not medically trained, the teacher is not a medical diagnostician.”

While extending condolences to the victim’s family, Mr Lloyd underscored the deceased teen was not even on campus on the Saturday in question.

“So when the principal, having received word of this rumour, called in the student who they claimed (originated) this rumour, every student confirmed to the principal that the student was not on campus, that they never saw the teacher with medication…or that they knew of the teacher as having any right or authority to administer medication. So that matter is put to rest. It is false.”

Mr Lloyd then addressed subsequent meetings between teachers and union officials, which he described as being in “clear violation of the industrial agreement”.

“It was further understood that the principal became aware of some emergency meeting on the school campus by teachers, called by a union shop steward,” Mr Lloyd said.

“There is an article within the industrial agreement…which clearly states that any meeting desirous of being held by the union with its members, teachers, must receive permission from the principal, which was not done.

“I am further advised by the principal that an area vice president, on the following morning of this meeting in question…shows up on the campus. And the principal was advised. And to the principal’s surprise, this person is having a meeting with her staff in the staff room.”

Mr Lloyd added he has “no idea” what was discussed during the meetings.

He said on Friday, approximately 20 teachers decided to walk out. He noted SC McPherson has a staff complement of about 100 — thereby stating only 1/5th of the staff population demonstrated while “80 percent of the teachers” continued to conduct classes.

“So here is a teacher now, being threatened by a rumour that is started by someone that is clearly false. And a teacher’s life is potentially put in danger by some false rumour…And you get this kind of unfortunate incident when the school (and) students are dealing with the loss of their friend and colleague and comrade,” the South Beach MP said.

Mr Lloyd also insisted there have been no attacks on teachers and that no teachers were threatened or accosted.

He noted the reported incident involving students allegedly cutting a teacher’s hair is a separate matter, not connected to Robert’s death. He added this matter was reported to the principal and the girls in question were suspended.

When asked why teachers demonstrated if no instructors were threatened due to the rumour, Mr Lloyd replied: “Ask the teachers. And ask in particular the one who leads the demonstration. The person in question. Because it appears as if this particular individual, who would’ve been the (spokesperson) that person seem to have a particular objective or agenda. But I don’t know. But the school is fine.”

Regarding if there will be further walk offs, Mr Lloyd said: “Why should there be? What is the dispute?

“But this nonsense of jumping to conclusions and acting out of some figment of somebody’s imagination is not only irresponsible, it’s dangerous. And it puts students’ lives in danger.”

When asked if he as minister will be intervening further in the matter, Mr Lloyd told The Tribune: “Of course. The minister is always involved. The minister doesn’t have to act with any particular intervention. The minister is always involved. But the principals are very capable.”