Minister wants non-violent approach to conflict resolution

Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams has renewed the call for Jamaicans to use non-violent ways to resolve conflicts.

She also urged parents and guardians to teach their children to settle conflicts without resorting to violence. Williams reiterated the call in the House of Representatives on Tuesday while conveying sympathies and condolences to the parents of 15-year-old Irwin High School student, Raniel Plummer, who was fatally stabbed last week.

"It is devastating for the family, the school community and Jamaica as a whole. When a child kills another child, it should cause us to look within ourselves as parents, as a community, as an education sector and as a society.

"Yes, there may be factors that contribute to the belief among some children that the answer to their frustration in human interaction is to lash out with violence, because they perceive the other child to be the source of their anger and suffering. Teaching children appropriate ways to communicate and behave begin very early, even before school attendance," she said.

Williams emphasised that children must be taught early by parents and other adults to follow rules and structure their lives for positive achievement.

"They must be taught non-violent ways of solving conflict," she said, citing several programmes in schools that promote conflict resolution. These include restorative justice practices, the parenting programme, guidance counselling, and the technical and vocational education programme to facilitate hands-on training and skills acquisition.