By VENUS HONORE-GOPIE and ALEXANDER BRUZUAL Thursday, January 28 2010

AN ARGUMENT between students resulted in a female Form Three student being stabbed in the chest at the St Augustine Secondary School yesterday afternoon. Police reported that at about 1.40 pm, 15-year-old Shivana Mata and a 14-year-old student were in the science lab of the school, when an argument erupted. The altercation quickly escalated and one student slapped the other.

The 14-year-old student reached into her book bag, pulled out a knife and stabbed Mata several times in the chest and arms. Mata was quickly taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope where she was treated and warded in stable condition.

Doctors said Mata would be kept overnight for observation.

Mata’s relatives who gathered at the EWMSC said the altercation was not over any boy but was provoked through continuous harassment by the younger student who has been arrested and up to last night, remained in police custody.

Sandra Mata said she was told the younger girl was “bad talking” her daughter Shivana and always harassed her child.

Mata claimed this stabbing could have been avoided had security guards who are equipped with metal detectors, scanned the students properly and detected the knife in the book bag of the 14-year-old.

Mata called on parents to be more vigilant and play a more active role in the interests of their children including checking what was in their book bags. St George East District School Supervisor (III) Ashram Deoraj visited Mata.

Student Support Services manager at the Ministry of Education Steve Williams expressed his concern over the incident. He said that today all students who witnessed the incident and who may be traumatised would receive counselling once teachers indicate to the ministry there is need for this type of support.

Sources revealed that students were scanned by security guards before entry into the school yesterday. However it was said this was only done twice per week. Detective Constable Lewis of the St Joseph Police Station is continuing investigations.

This latest incidence of school violence comes less than three months after some students of the El Dorado East and West Government Secondary Schools fought with each other. This led to a major beefing-up of security including the construction of a concrete perimetre wall between the schools and metal detectors being introduced.

Education Minister Esther Le Gendre responded swiftly authorising a change in the school hours, introduction of a student bus service and most importantly hosting a meeting between students, teachers, ministry officials and a psychologist to thrash out solutions to the violence.