Parents were shocked at the recent revelation by the principal of a rural secondary school that some of his students have gotten married and are actually experiencing marital issues that are distracting them from doing their best academically.
The principal disclosed during a parents teachers association (PTA) meeting that the nuptials were resulting in problems that required the intervention of the parents.
“They are here and they are married and they are in some seriously committed marriages,” he told the parents of his male students.
“Before you go any further, I don’t mean to interrupt you. Is my son a part of that marriage?” one mother asked.
But the principal of the co-ed institution was not prepared to give names. Instead, he urged the parents to go home and make their inquiries and caution their children. It was not clear whether any of these students are legally married for those who might be at the age of consent or if it is just a verbal commitment given to act as husband and wife.
“It is serious, and guess what is happening with that now? They marry, and they can’t manage it because they are having marital issues, and some of them are having extra marital affairs,” he told the awe-struck parents.
“So I like Jane, and I am married to Jane, but I like Janet too, and June sort of look nice too, and it is causing problems because we are starting to have conflicts,” he explained.
Some of the boys are very domineering and sometimes subject the girls to physical abuse if they dare to speak to any other male student.
“Sometimes they hit them in some ungodly places,” he revealed, before pointing out that the parents of the “bride and the groom,” who are engaged in these conflicts, have been called in. He said he was making the situation public, as he is not sure if all of the marriages have come to his attention. He also wanted to solicit the parents help in cautioning children about the law and the fact that they can get into conflict with the law once they are over the age of 12.
The school administrator said he has observed the serious commitment the married students display towards each other. They often have lunch together and are generally seen in the company of each other.
“Nothing is wrong with that, but you see the over-commitment; it is affecting the grades, so that is what I have a problem with. I have a big big problem because their grades are taking a nose dive because they become so committed to the relationship and they are not managing the two,” he noted.
Based on Jamaica’s law, you have to be 18 years of age or older to get married. Parental consent is required for those who wish to get married at 16 or 17 years old.
The senior educator noted that where there are physical altercations, an incident report is done and the information is sent to the Ministry of Education. The principal seemed genuinely concerned about his students, who he declared are considered his children as well because they are in the school’s care. He stressed that he often reminds his students about the law during devotions.
“Help me to caution them about their aggression, their marital affairs, and their extramarital affairs, and the fact that they want to abuse the girls when the girls are not necessarily faithful or compliant,” he pleaded with the parents.
During the discussion with the parents, the incident involving several prominent high schools in the corporate area in April came to the fore. A physical clash amongst several students from different high schools, including Mona High, Calabar High, Jamaica College, Kingston College, St. George’s College, and The Queen’s High School, went viral and took serious interventions from several stakeholders to get things under control. According to reports, the feud started after a Queen’s High School student, who was previously involved with a student from Calabar High School, started seeing a male student from Mona High. Threats were sent to the Mona student, who was told to end the relationship.
The principal reminded the parents that their children’s actions are recorded in their files. He said in the past he would downplay their behaviours, especially if they got into trouble during their first few years, but eventually made a turn around during their latter years. However, he has stopped withholding information when he is asked to provide a recommendation. He noted that he has been signing up a lot of letters to take to the embassies, and the files are consulted when writing the letters. “They need to behave themselves,” he told the parents as he made it clear that school administrators will not be lying for the children.
The administrator warned parents about several other matters pertaining to the law that he feels they must be aware of. This includes the Cyber Crime Act, which comes with a hefty fine and/or prison time for those found in breach. He told parents to caution their children against sharing illegal videos and photos.
“Mi a beg you to say to them say, ‘don’t join any groups apart from the school group, and if anything come to your phone, delete it. If you want to look, look, because it is your phone, but don’t share it.”
He also addressed the matter of child labour, confessing that the Child Protection and Family Services Agency was contacted to deal with a few of the cases that had come to his attention. There was also the issue of sexual harassment and trafficking in persons, which he felt the parents needed to be aware of. He said parents ought to be concerned about their boy child having over a female student every day at their house, even if he says it’s just a friend. Parents, he warned, also needed to be cautious about sleepovers and slumber parties.
“Watch those things because sometimes what you are doing is putting butter before puss. So yes, they should have their friends, but you have to control the environment,” he warned.
