School principal expresses disgust at school vandalism

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Vandalism of school property is one of the issues the St Johns Rural South community is facing with the seeming uptick in crime there in recent months.

Since the return of students to the classrooms of the Golden Grove Primary School, there have been four break-ins into the school by students, as reported by the school’s principal, Mae Hippolyte.

The fans are all gone. Supplies for students are all gone. Supplies for teachers are all gone. Everything…and the children continue to walk in and they’re saying to us, nobody can stop them,” she stated in Thursday’s town hall meeting.

Hippolyte highlighted a specific cross-section of individuals who are responsible for perpetrating the acts.

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Golden Grove School Principal, Mae Hippolyte, spoke about the persistent issue of school vandalism at Thursday’s town hall meeting (Photos courtesy Elesha George).

“There are some young guys on the roadside selling guineps and so on. These are people who just walk in and do as they like, and they want to fight me if I speak to them,” she said.

Additionally, she implored parents to step in to bring the problem under control  before it escalates to the level where the police are involved.

“I just want to implore parents, please encourage your children to refrain from being on the premises unless it is school time or we are having extra activities, because what is happening, it is going to stop. And I do not want your children or my students to be the ones caught,” the school principal added.

Meanwhile, the first billows of smoke began rising from the Golden Grove Primary School close to 8pm, while the town hall meeting was being held at the Nut Grove basketball court.

The school’s groundsman, Sylvester Shoy, discovered the fire in the third grade classroom as he was conducting his routine checks on the premises.

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A cabinet containing books was lit on fire by the perpetrators.

“I went to the back [of the school] and realised that it wasn’t in the pasture. I saw smoke, and anywhere smoke is, is fire. I realised the grade 3 was on fire, so I went for two buckets and called a neighbour and told them to call the fire truck,” Shoy told Observer.

 One of the classroom’s windows was open, and the source of the fire was a cabinet containing books which led Shoy to believing that the fire was deliberately started by students.

“Somebody deliberately lit it on fire…I realised one of the top windows was open where they came through…and then the other kids came down and then came and opened the door…” he stated.

Hippolyte, who arrived on the scene later, did not wish to speak at that moment. However, it was clear she was visibly disturbed at the ordeal.

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