Special Envoy: Predatory Behaviour by Teachers on Students Should Not Be Ignored

Not long ago, news surfaced of a high school teacher who had sent indecent WhatsApp messages to one of his students. It resulted in the girl’s parents transferring her to another high school after they discovered that prompt and appropriate action had not been taken against the teacher. The office of the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children and the Ministry of Education had condemned the alleged inappropriate behavior and the matter is now being investigated. But today when we met her, News Five asked the Special Envoy – a school principal by profession – for her views on how the matter was handled. 

Rossana Briceño

Rossana Briceño, Special Envoy for the Development of Families & Children

“Yes we believe in due process and in proving – the whole due process approach, but when it comes to children, when it comes to these kinds of issues, not – yes, it’s an issue, but it’s more of a predatory issue, a situation where a teacher is responsible for young people and then this is the kind of behavior that they will have. It’s very demoralizing as a principal because I am a principal first. I will never let that go. And if that had happened in my school, trust me, definitely due process would follow, but it would definitely not be swept under the rug -definitely not. It’s wrong, it’s wrong.”