The Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport is currently investigating a video, which has gone viral on social media, of two teenaged secondary school students having sex in a classroom.
Parents and viewers on Facebook have expressed outrage at the video, noting the students were brave enough to commit the act in their school uniform and it seems to have been videotaped by another student.
The school is based in Tobago’s capital, Scarborough. In the video, the female student is sitting on top of the male student on a chair in a corner of a classroom.
Several viewers posted comments such as: “They should be expelled.” “This is disgusting, they should be expelled or suspended.” “Adult jail please. She looks like Form One.”
Contacted on the issue yesterday, THA Secretary of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport, Huey Cadette, said they were currently investigating the matter as it had been brought to their attention before.
“I am aware of it and it was being circulated before,” he told the T&T Guardian in a telephone interview
Also contacted yesterday, T&T Unified Teachers' Association (TTUTA) first vice- president Antonia de Freitas said they were unaware of the video but promised to look into it.
“It is a cause of concern and it will be investigated by the division,” she said.
This is not the first time such sex acts by students have been caught on video and posted on social media.
Addressing the issue yesterday, president of the National Parent Teacher Association Zena Ramatali said a lack of supervision could be one of the underlying factors which help to facilitate such acts.
“Besides social issues, when it comes to school there is a lack of supervision and we have to reach out and teach the children about having sex at an early age and diseases you could contract from having sex,” she said.
Campaign on May 1
Ramatali said they had already planned an anti-bullying walk in Tobago for May 1 but will now have to factor in this latest incident as part of their drive.
“We have invited and partnered with the THA and there will be some of the students in the walk and business people and we are looking at motivational speakers. We will be going with members of the PTA from Trinidad.
“We are hoping to sensitise our community about the issues of discipline, sexual exploitation and violence and values of their bodies and making right choices,” she added
Lana Boodoo-Maharaj, founder of the Stop the Bullying Facebook page, said sex in school was a very serious issue and parents support was needed to solve the problem.
“The Ministry of Education is doing nothing to solve the problems and parents need to stand up and say more. We want all this to end.
“Since the ministry can’t find a solution to the issues, we the parents have some ideas that can help them. Counselling and suspension cannot solve the issue. If we the parents don’t act now our children will be lost to this dreadful place,” she added.