Teachers at Somerset Primary School reportedly staged a protest action today after failing to report to work amid ongoing concerns surrounding a student with severe behavioral and educational challenges.
According to information obtained by TNN News from multiple reliable sources, the student was enrolled at the school in September of last year and has allegedly been involved in repeated disruptive and violent incidents throughout the academic year. Sources claim the child has assaulted teachers, thrown chairs, and created what our source describe as an increasingly unsafe and unmanageable learning environment.
TNN News understands it is alleged that the paraeducator assigned to assist the student has refused to return to work until the matter is properly addressed. Sources further allege that repeated concerns and formal emails have been sent by teachers and school administrators to the Ministry of Education requesting intervention, but no permanent solution has been implemented.
One source familiar with the situation stated that the school had attempted several interventions since the end of September of last year in an effort to accommodate the child within the mainstream classroom setting. However, the source said those measures have not been successful and believes the student should now be transferred to the Learning Support Programme housed at Victor Scott Success Academy.
“It’s not like the school hasn’t tried,” the source said. “There are protocols for situations like this. You try different strategies, and if those don’t work, the next step is a more specialized environment that can properly support the child.”
The source added that educational therapists, commonly referred to as ETs, can sometimes spend an entire school year working intensively with one student. However, concerns have reportedly grown among teachers who feel they are not adequately equipped or supported to handle students with extreme behavioral and developmental challenges in a mainstream classroom environment.
Another source indicated the child is believed to suffer from severe ADHD and struggles significantly with communication and attention regulation, which can allegedly lead to emotional outbursts and aggressive behavior.
The protest action reportedly resulted in all classroom teachers failing to report to school today. TNN News understands that only the headmistress attended, while substitute teachers and personnel from the Ministry of Education were dispatched to assist with supervising students throughout the day.
Sources also acknowledged the difficulties families may face in accessing specialized educational services, particularly when facilities are located outside their home parish. However, some educators believe the child would benefit from placement in a setting specifically designed to support students with intensive learning and behavioral needs.
TNN News has contacted the Ministry of Education for comment regarding the allegations and the teachers’ protest action. A response is still pending.
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