Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, says greater focus is being placed on equipping students to handle conflict and settle disputes peacefully.
Addressing the thanksgiving service for late Ocho Rios High School student, Devonie Shearer, at the Green Island New Testament Church of God in Green Island, Hanover, on Thursday (April 16), she said that the Ministry is investing more in conflict resolution, emotional regulation and restorative practices.
Moreover, there is work to embed violence prevention into everyday teaching, she pointed out.
“We have to look at the curriculum and strengthen it to ensure that… we’re giving our children more tools so that they can handle conflict. What led to us to being in this church today was not inevitable. It could have been avoided. We have to teach our children how to avoid conflicts,” she contended.
Dr. Morris Dixon said that the behaviour and challenges being faced in schools are reflections of broader social issues, including conditions within homes and communities.
She said schools alone cannot address these problems, noting that discipline requires stronger support from families and the wider society.
She urged greater responsibility at the household and community levels, even while the Government is increasing investment in psychosocial support services within the education system.
“So… there is hope. Also, the church has a lot to do. The church has to help us in the Ministry. Our children have to know God; they have to know the Bible. They have to know the moral teachings that we have built this society on or else we’re going to lose them,” Dr. Morris Dixon underscored.
She expressed sadness at the death of 16-year-old, Devonie, who passed away following an altercation with a peer on the school’s compound on March 4.
Dr. Morris Dixon said that no child should ever lose their life to violence, especially in a place meant for learning.
“What happened was unacceptable, and as a society we have to reject violence. Violence has no place anywhere in our country. We cannot continue mourning time and time again,” she said.
She expressed condolences to Devonie’s family, including mother Kashema Smith and father Milton Shearer, whom she met the day after his passing, as well as his sister.
Principal of Ocho Rios High School, Marvin Clowson, in his tribute, remembered Devonie, who joined the school in September 2025, as a respectful, quiet and humble student.
He noted the deep grief being experienced by students, staff and family members, and encouraged them to reflect on the positive aspects of the teenager’s life.
He reminded those in attendance that tragedy can strike unexpectedly and urged the school community to remain vigilant and supportive of one another.
