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“[…] What happens beyond classroom removal matters because the students we expel are still children. Many of them are struggling with challenges far bigger than a ‘bad’ attitude including trauma, broken homes or mental health needs.
“Simply moving them from one ministry to another won’t fix the issue if there is no plan to meet their specific needs.
“[…] If we truly are serious about reducing school-based violence and helping young people turn their lives around, we need systems that treat expulsion not as the end but as a transition for deeper intervention…”
The following Letter to the Editor, which suggests that expulsion—by itself—might only worsen the issue of deviant behavior by school children, was submitted to Wired868 by Kwasi Cudjoe, a social impact consultant from D’Abadie:
Each time we expel a child from school, Trinidad and Tobago should be asking a serious question. What happens next?
For years, school-based violence has seemingly increased and evolved way beyond harsh words or classroom disruptions to severe fights and other real concerns. The truth is, teachers are overwhelmed, parents are frustrated and some students are behaving in ways that threaten the safety of the school community.
The Ministry of Education has within its School Discipline Matrix, suspension and expulsion as a few of its tools to restore order and better manage these incidents. However, the question of what actually (not what is meant to) happens to a child who is sent away still remains.
The once established Learning Enhancement Centres, which were intended to engage suspended students, do not appear to be operating and with no specialized space for expelled youth, focus was shifted in the recent past to placing these students into programs like MILAT.
On paper and to a frustrated public including some educators, this may sound like a solution or even a second chance. Yet in practice, it raises questions as these programs were not originally designed for this purpose.
Simply put, this approach may be well-intentioned but it’s reactive and not rehabilitative.
What happens beyond classroom removal matters because the students we expel are still children. Many of them are struggling with challenges far bigger than a ‘bad’ attitude including trauma, broken homes or mental health needs.
Simply moving them from one ministry to another won’t fix the issue if there is no plan to meet their specific needs. Teachers and support staff have been trying to make it work but passion can only go so far when dealing with such problems.
If we truly are serious about reducing school-based violence and helping young people turn their lives around, we need systems that treat expulsion not as the end but as a transition for deeper intervention.
We can do better by properly developing specialized alternatives that cater to the unique needs of expelled students including girls. These should be trauma informed, staffed with trained behavioral specialist and offer both academic and psychosocial support.
There must be a strengthening of cross ministry coordination in terms of referral protocols, case management and tracking systems.
The ‘no student falls through the cracks’ must be more than a mere policy catch phrase and reflected in practice. Also, before we even reach expulsion there are often warning signs that can be addressed by investing more in prevention and early intervention.
Remember, each child is still a child of this nation. Let’s build systems that see discipline as a path to healing and recovery.
Expulsion should never equate to exclusion from opportunity or society. Until meaningful alternatives are established, we are not solving school violence, we’re just relocating it.
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