A first-form student of a West Demerara secondary school is alleged to have attacked a teacher with a broken bottle last Friday, leading to a physical altercation that turned into bloodshed.

Stabroek News understands that the child was wounded above one of the eyes and that the incident has sparked an investigation by the police, officials of the Ministry of Education, the Welfare Department and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU).

The police yesterday confirmed that they have received a report on the matter, while GTU’s President Sydney Murdock told this newspaper that the union was investigating. Sources said that on October 30, the day prior to the altercation, the student was accused of stabbing one of his classmates with a piece of wood. Reports said teachers at the school ordered both boys to be accompanied by their parents to the school on Friday, but that day, only the wounded child took his mother.

Stabroek News was told that the alleged attacker behaved in an indisciplined manner after teachers asked him to sit on a bench last Friday. The boy reportedly assaulted a younger child, and then ran out of the school compound when summoned. Other students reportedly held and escorted him back into the schoolyard, where one teacher attempted to discipline him.

It was believed that the child had a broken bottle on his person and while being disciplined, allegedly kicked and cuffed the female teacher. The child reportedly told the woman, “Miss I gun drop you before de afternoon and go back to jail”.

This newspaper understands that at that point, the student allegedly whipped out the broken bottle and a scuffle ensued between the two. Sources said the teacher and student were both escorted to one of the police stations in the district. Education and welfare officials were immediately called in. Unconfirmed reports state that the child was expelled from at least one other school.

The last such reported incident involved a teacher and a student of North Georgetown Secondary. The student was accused of threatening the teacher’s life. (Kim Lucas)