RETRACTION: Excessive Corporal Punishment in U.S.V.I

       So I sincerely feel the need to apologize to my readers as well as the educators at the Yvonne Bowsky Elementary School, located within our territory, with regards to a blog post published last Sunday due to reports received and read (from various publications based within the territory and teachers) about the use of corporal punishment by a principal on one of their students which is in fact, NOT TRUE. We were delighted to hear that while the video and comments attached to it and articles on the subject may depict a much more gruesome scene it was actually nothing like illustrated, but an actual crude offense made by another to seem so. While the screams and cries in the video were completely real they were the result of a tired student trying to pt his way out of the punishment received, which I am told was raising his arms above his head for long periods of time. I would like to also take this opportunity while acknowledging that my opinions were in fact biased because of my stance on corporal punishment to note that those were my only objections and I'm sure many would agree as we've seen in recent senate legislations world wide and at home that a change in our schools policies and procedures with respects to such is much needed.

The views expressed within this blog are solely those of Ms. Child Advocate and does not reflect on any of her affiliations. For more on the U.S Virgin Islands read Too Much Violence And Abuse In Our Schools, Too Much Violence: Shootings Near USVI Preschools, andEducational Institutions Need New Blood.

How well do you know child's teachers?!

While taking my son on our usual route around a block in our neighborhood which houses a primary school and a head start (among what used to be) we both happened upon two things that astonished us both. The first was a tamarind tree that I used to frequent in my youth! While passing by what seemed to be a patch of trees I could help but pick up one off the ground to give my baby a taste, but he bit off more than he could chew literally! After seeing his excitement for a fruit he’d only tasted once, I decided to try the remainder for myself and boy was I happy. It had been so long since I’d tasted the fruit from ‘these’ trees that I had forgotten how truly sweet they were. While picking up more tamarinds to carry back home with us, or eat on the way, I happened upon my second surprise of the morning which was seemed as unpleasant as it felt uneasy for me to hear.

It was the sound of a woman yelling; yelling to what seemed as if it were the top of her lungs. Because of our initial distance we decided to move closer, contemplating on whether there were any reasons for the school to be conducting a program (of which such noise is customary due to microphones and speakers) although it was too soon to be an Easter program, but way too early to be anything else.  Upon our arrival at the back of the building I heard what I am ashamed to say was by ‘man’s definition’ a woman, a teacher, yelling at a student to the top of her lungs. While I was unaware of the actual/ initial reason for such I did ‘over hear’ hear telling ‘Jaquan’ to “look at me while I’m speaking to you”, “answer me”, and “I am the adult here”.

I swayed my head in dismay as I stood to listen and try to figure out which grade and teacher was this situation taking place? I knew that the school houses primary grades k-3 and most kindergarten classes where held in the same building, but so where a first grade and a computer lab of which all teachers and students have access to and utilize periodically according to schedules. No matter which way I played the scenario it just didn’t seem fit for a teacher to be yelling at primary students of this nature, especially within a classroom. As I stood listening to the ‘teacher’ in question I realized that I had been spotted by another teacher, of whom I’d like to believe was probably having the same thoughts with regards to the boisterous teacher alienating her student. As I walked away I could see the look of other staff members outside listening almost intently but not budging to intervene, I wondered how well do we really know our children’s teachers?