Police find ganja in school
(CNS): The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has confirmed that a very small unspecified quantity of ganja was recovered from Cayman Prep High School in George Town today by canine handlers. Police said that at around 8:35 am they received a report from members of staff that they had smelt ganja on school property. As a result the K-9 unit went to the school and searched the premises. Although a very small amount of the drug was discovered during the operation, police said that contrary to other reports, no students were arrested or detained. An RCIPS spokesperson told CNS this evening that the police were continuing their enquiries.
Category: Headline News
The crimes before were bad enough, but now that a high school student smoked a joint and someone might possibly have stolen a dog (plausible only if you were participating with the aforementioned student), it is time for UK intervention.
Join me now in a call for a secret undercover investigation into these events by special investigators from the Met. It’s the only way to get to the bottom of this. Who knows what corruption they might uncover along the way?
I second the idea. Let’s stamp out dog-napping and dope smoking once and for all, and maybe bag a few corrupt officials along the way. I’ll volunteer to lead the investigation. Now where’s my sun tan lotion? I wonder what Martin Polaine is up to these days? Oh yeah – he’s "retired":
(http://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/complaintsandhearings/disciplinaryfindings/687.html?textsize=large)
And now, for something completely different, this is “a tempest in a teapot”, “much ado about nothing”, “mass hysteria”…
Here we have some kids showing us that (like many adults) intelligence/academic performance, and good judgment do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.
They were not a threat to themselves or others. So, does this really call for such a massive Police response? No.
Do kids, in this age group, demonstrate the same poor judgment, no matter what school they attend? Absolutely.
Should the school address this issue? Yes.
Is the school partially responsible? Yes. What were you doing at the time that kids found so totally boring/offensive/reprehensible that they would take a chance on getting caught smoking weed?
Are the parents partially responsible? Yes. Just because your kids are bright, don’t assume that they possess good judgment. Address the issue.
Is expulsion/suspension the correct response? Don’t be stupid, of course not. Do you think that they will spend the time at home, alone, solving quadratic equations all day?
They don’t need less school, they need more school. Make them take courses on drug use, emotional intelligence, appropriate behaviors in different settings, etc.
If they are just expelled/suspended they will either not be able to graduate from school or perform poorly on exams. Do we really want kids with intellectual ability to use these skills on antisocial tasks?
as usual you are all taking a dig at each other about spelling and the like and getting into a debate about private v government schools, just because you go to a private school does not mean you are any better than those children who go to government school, just because you think you are fortunate enough to go to a private school, those who don’t, know they are fortunate enough to be going to a government school – think long and hard about what you write before you write – this issue is about ganja found in a private school (shock, horror) lets get real here, private schools are known to be worse than any government schools world-wide………….. as for the culprits, shame on you!!
"private schools are known to be worse than any government schools world-wide………….. "
What evidence are you using for this rather sweeping comment? Maybe you should take your own advice and think long and hard about what you write. You may be annoyed but you reveal yourself to be as ignorant as the people you criticize with that incorrect comment.
Parents should judge each school for themselves based on performance of the students as measured in externally marked (and therefore unbiased) testing, rather than extreme and incorrect statements like yours…
"Private Schools are known…."
What evidence are you using for this rather sweeping comment? Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/21/2010 – 17:16.
I have reading this back and forth regarding private/public schools. You all write about better grades and exam results in the private schools. However have you all stopped and thought that maybe the exam results received by some of the public school students are just as good or better than the private schools? How about doing some calculation and compare the ratio. When you have for example, about 300 students coming out from the public school each year as compared to about 100 from the private schools and you compared those results you may find that the results from the public school are much higher in comparison. So please, how about researching the passes and do the ratios so we can get off of this subject about which school is better than the other.
"I have been reading this back and forth….."
Sorry I missed out "been" in my earlier comment, I know I’ll be reprimanded by the "know alls" on this site.
As a student john gray high school, for some of you who dont know, we have police officers and security guards at school who actually talk to the student sabout drugs and keep a tab on students who get in trouble often or those who have problems.
The comment about the dogs at john gray for the day, hold on to what you say because judging a school would be a regret for some parents who think that private is the best way to go.
It is up to your child that say "I’m going to do drugs when i get older", "I’m going to please my parents with the grades", I"’m going to get in trouble for any sort of foolishness".
My point is dont judge John Gray, im getting my education just the same way the private students getting theirs and when our students are in trouble we have police officer, teachers and security guards to help out and other mature adults.
Another point which i notice the public only hear about the bad at john gray because we are a government school but never the private until they get in with the law.
So please we dont need to hear about what education system we need in Cayman, we just need to hear that, parents not letting their child do any and every thing in the book, because some are just too spoil for their age.
Okay well i’m a student at Cayman Prep and I am in the same class as the people who did it are in. Just because a few people and there stupidity caused this chaos dose not mean the school on the whole is bad. The school took this violation to very extreme measures. Instead of taking matters into there own hands, they did the right thing of calling the RCIP. They were able to allocate the marijuana and this allowed them to go further into the investigation. For some of you who do not know, the students were kept inside the classroom for a very good purpose. It was so that whomever the people behind it were, could not discharge of any weed they had on them; which is why the drug dogs were called in so that they could then locate any more marijuana in any of the students bags. They also searched the students to find any marijuana or electronic devices that could lead to more information, which worked. The teachers found a cell phone on one of the persons who did it, and read the messages between the persons who did it were sending each other via Blackberry Messenger.
I’m sick of reading grammar lessons on this site too, but clearly those in private schools also have an issue with their spelling and grammar looking at this post. I don’t say that to berude or anything, I thank you for speaking up, though it won’t do much good in stopping the on-going debate.
If we’re going off topic we should just leave it at – It all starts at home with the parents!
It’s funny how most of you say that the students found with drugs were deemed an expulsion when actually, two out of three were externally suspended and only one of them expelled for previous usage of Ganja. This information came from my son.
Although the students were confined into one space for over three hours, the school adequately dealt with the situation and called the Police for assistance. This is a very fine institute, just the odd few drug consumed parasites lurking around…
nobody was arrested because the weed was found in a garbage bin.
Twenty years ago the school did not have a drug problem. Now, the younger ones moving up through the school have to deal with this issue. This behaviour affects everybody but especially parents who have fought hard to give their children a good education. If there is a zero tdrug tolerance policy all of these students should be expelled – no suspensions, otherwise it sends a mixed message out to other students and their families.
Reading some of the comments makes me think that the fact I wrote is instead of are is of more importance than the fact that ganja was found in school. I heard some teenagers mentioning last night that other drugs are circulated in Prep School and although it might only be hearsay if it was said about government schools it would be taken as gospel. Whoever or whomever chooses to correct my grammar can go right ahead but I think there are more important issues at hand than the fact I write is or are.
Therefore I would like to leave by saying "I IS A CONCERNED EAST ENDAH."
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/19/2010 – 00:27.
"I have you know, that the level of education at the public schools are not different than the level of education at the private schools. The only difference is that some go by the British system and some go by the American system. This coming from someone who attended both! And I don’t know where you get off correcting peoples English. The person typed in the same dialect they speak. They do teach dialect where you went to school don’t they or are you still in school?"
2out of 10
"I (will) have you know, (redundant comma) that the level of education at the public schools are (is) not different than (from) the level of education at the private schools. The only difference is that some go by (use) the British system and some go by (use) the American system. This (is) coming from someone who attended both! And (never begin a sentence with a conjunction) I don’t know where you get off (don’t use vernacular in written pieces) correcting peoples (apostrophe) English. The person typed in the same dialect (that) they speak. They do teach dialect where you went to school don’t they (comma) or are you still in (? ‘attending’ would be better) school?" (The teaching of dialect is not on the national curriculum here, the UK, the US, Canada or Australia)
If you really did attend a private school, I think that you should ask for your money back!
Private schools do not necessarily provide better education by reason of what they teach or how they, but they do deliver better education, largely because of a more supportive middle class parent grouping and the a pupil’s peers tending to be more supportive of a atmosphere of encouraging education.
Saying that, when I was at school, the drugs were always of a much higher quality at the private schools that the the state ones.
I went to a dumpy public school with terrible academics and great drugs, however this was not on Cayman. This did not hinder me in obtaining a law degree and getting a job in Cayman, where I soon learned that there really was only one law firm with great drugs (and an awesome system for partner-associate "interfacing", the sort of thing you’d like to see a movie about), however I, unfortunately, worked at another firm.
Sometimes it’s just the roll of the dice.
My elderly parents read this and thought it was so funny they both fell off their walkers and rolled around the carpet laughing. Little did they know I was in the "movie" mentioned above. Life’s funny that way.
Because I try to look for the good … how about we applaud the school for calling the police and having a no tolerance policy? Kids will be kids will be kids … what is important is that as the ‘grown ups’ of our community we are aware of their actions, call them on them and whenever possible hold them accountable. It is this accountability which can help them make the hard right decision instead of the easy wrong – and while it does not always have the desired result we must not turn a blind eye.
Totally agree. How can this write-up get out of porportion! How many of your friends had possession of weed 20 years ago at school? You didn’t hear anything about it back then. You immediately got expelled and a beating at home. At least the teacher called the police instead of hiding it. It could’ve happened to any private school. Don’t start putting down the private schools, start giving compliments once in a while that it’s a "no tolerance attitude." The police should have this attitude with the criminals walking our streets. Then, perhaps, we can get our little island back.
Well said about hiding the dirt, this shows that Private schools are under the same pressure as Govt school, so people who brags about private schools are better, open your eyes. This place need alot of changes.
The Private Schools report it to the Police, and trhe Police take action when they do. What would happen if some drugs dogs spent a day sniffing around John Gray…
Go on cops, I dare you!
The Private Schools Report It… Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/19/2010 – 18:04.
They would no doubt find the same thing as they did at the private school. The difference would be that CNS would not be able to contain the comments made by people like you.
Wake up and smell the roses… your child is not any better or more educated than mine who happens to attend John Gray. I could have sacrificed and sent mine to a private school but I trust my child, I gave him the choice of deciding what school he wanted to attend. I also know that if my child wants to learn he can learn just as well and obtain just as good grades in JG as he would in a private school. I spend quality time with my child and don’t rely solely on the teacher to ensure he gets a good education and good grades. If you calculate the time your child spends at school you would realize that your child spends more time with you than he or she does with the teacher, the key is… KYC. (know your child)
With everything that is going on in the schools I have no regrets in sending my son to JG. He is making me proud.
Just because a hand full of kids are doing bad things dosen’t mean all the rest are not good students. This goes for all schools.
At least they didn’t find crack!
so ?
Not arrested or detained but EXPELLED by the school on the spot! That is the difference between Public and private schools.
Expelling a child in possession of ganja does not solve the problem. Similarly, throwing someone in jail for a drug problem does not solve the drug problem, but merely adds fuel to the already smouldering heap of coles.
You are right. If they are not Caymanian they should be deported too.
Weed of wisdom……………………check it out!Prep school students have the best grades in the Cayman Islands,the good exam grades and the good high grade.lol
OK, here’s what I don’t understand. The police find drugs, ok a small quantity. But this gives them the power to arrest and take urine tests.
Why were they not arrested – or at least the one in possession?.
Do you think they would have been arrested if they were kids in Windsor Park? or West Bay? or Rock Hole. Without doubt. So why weren’t these kids? And when you’ve worked out why tell me – what message does that send?
Why they were not arrested…..maybe because the weed was found in a bathroom as opposed to on a person, (ii) to make how many hundreds of kids do a urine test is extremely expensive, about $100+ a drop, (iii) if they did do urine tests on those who were suspected and they turned out negative, where do they thengo? Refer back to (ii)., (iv) if they had been found positive or in possession, an automatic expulsion for drugs while in school is just as bad if not worse than a police record (or they could go through tthe Drug Court) as no school (high) will take them in and thus they have thrown away their education (v) the whooping they would pick up from their parents would be far worse than the police..And ofcourse, if they were found to be selling it as opposed to just smoking, then they are really up the creek…
Word probably got out that the police were called. I doubt they hid it on their person.
I actually go to prep and its because they couldn’t prove they did it. someone confessed the peoples names including themself who brought it and THE PERSON who was expelled was the one who confesses and said he brought it in but even though they had names of the other people they couldn’t prove they did it
I actually go to prep and its……
Since this same to be about grammar and the level of education in the private versus the public schools, here is some information for the parents of children in the private schools who same to have their noses stuck up their a….s. If this was written by a student of Prep High School then you all had better find another way of investing in your child’s education. This sounds just like what you all are putting down on this site. When this student leaves school, he/she will be ridiculed just like some of the writers on this site. Please….. let us stand together for our children, let’s stop making this be about private versus public schools. We all know that it is not only the school that determines the success of a student, but it has to do with the teachers, home environment and the children themselves. If a child is determined to learn it doesn’t matter where you place him or her, it could be under a tree he or she will learn. Some of the teachers in the public school are just as good, maybe even better than those in private schools. However, if we don’t get these drug problems out of our childrens’ lives we could put them in Fort Knox and they will not be safe, so please lets stick to the issue… "drugs found in school."
Uh oh… chickens coming home to roost, vision 2008 is over what do we do now for 2010 and beyond?
The question is: Were they peaceful??
Go to some of the bars and watch some of the young people puking in the sand, fighting, falling down, and roaring off in their cars. And wrapping themselves around trees. But it’s ok. That intoxicant is legal.
Not in school, you dope
Triple C has mandatory drug testing. Maybe the other schools should do this as well. I find it very disturbing that there are drugs inany of our schools private or public. I think we have bigger things to worry about than correcting grammar such as getting drugs and gangs out of the schools and making sure our young people are not left to run around all over the place.
Not very surprising at all.
When I was "High School" a few of the students may have had some "ganja" now and then – but the students right down the road (back then) at Catholic and Prep were into all sorts of other stuff – especially the girls!
Things that I couldn’t quite understand or pronounce – not that I cared to anyway.
However, this is how it is the world over – private school kids are normally privy to the "finer things" in life due to socio-economic status – this shines through in their drug of choice as well.
For example, I was shocked to learn of how dependent the (London) UK professional community (doctors, lawyers, judges, bankers) is on "upmarket" substances.
Typical Caymanian police, they feel more comfortable trying to arrest some kids at a school, rather than attempting to tackle the real criminals like burglars murderers, and gang members.
Says it all really
It wasn’t things that are going on such as this that people are talking about. It’s the education you receive. For example when you have a plural such as "same thingS happening" you would use "are" not "is." Unless you’re saying, "I is a East Endah"
I have you know, that the level of education at the public schools are not different than the level of education at the private schools. The only difference is that some go by the British system and some go by the American system. This coming from someone who attended both! And I don’t know where you get off correcting peoples English. The person typed in the same dialect they speak. They do teach dialect where you went to school don’t they or are you still in school?
Dialect isn’t something that is taught it is learnt through socializing. School is meant to teach you how to speak and write properly. You shouldn’t write with a dialect if you’re making an educated statement. On here it’s okay because it’s an open forum for free speech but considering we’re comparing education systems I think it was a fair comment to make. Most private schools on the island are British as well so I’m not sure how this is the only difference.
It might not be fair to say the public schools standard of education is low, but the environment doesn’t best harbour it’s students as another poster said – overcrowding and rowdiness is a problem. There are less control over the students in general. And this is coming from someone who attended both as well on-island, pre-school to high school and even a few UCCI courses.
Oh, and while I’m at it, it would be "I’ll have you know." What you wrote basically says: Hi I’m a Caymanian, and I’m ignorant. Dialects, unlike accents, should be turned off, if you will, when speaking to certain audiences. Once again, here it’s okay but it is not the best way to get a learned response.
"Dialect" is not taught in schools because it is just different pronunciation of words. What kids in Cayman today are doing is speaking entirely in slang, which ,by the way, is totally inappropriate in the business world. Most of these kids will never find jobs in their lifetime because of this.
I also attended both, but my secondary school education was entirely public. (1) A number of private schools (including the one in question, use the British system; (2) there are some poor private schools; and (3) the percentage of O and A Level passes at elite private schools, for example, Cayman Prep & High, is far higher than at the public high schools. This is amplified by the school inspectorate reports. There is little comparison between the respective levels of education at the elite private schools and that at public schools.
Speaking is one thing, but when we write we should do so in correct English. This prevents misunderstandings & shows knowledge. Imagine your chances when answering a written questionaire for a job if the answers are in "dialect". I’m not saying that I do not make mistakes sometimes.
As an 8th generation local who attended both private primary & public high school on island many years ago, I actually told my English high school teacher that one day when he chided my spoken word. That is, "I may not speak it correctly but I can write it correctly". To this day, he & I laugh about the conversation & I remind him of my subsequent A grade. I did realise however, that he was just trying to get me to improve. As was my parents who did their part by reminding me not to use "dialect" words in important conversations. By the way, I was never taught any "dialect" at either school.
"I have you know.." "The level…are…" Holy Ebonics, Batman!
FACT, the level of education at public scholls is way different to that of the priate schools on the island, the published exam results each year, both GCSE and A-Levels clearly evidence that, so I don’t now where you got that thought from. I went to both growing up down here, and if I didn’t have the opportunity to go elsewhere (as the secondary education at the public schools was so dire, and there weren’t any private high schools) I would have probably turned out like the majority of the kids who have to go to them. It is like a cattle mill in that they go, stay there (if not kicked out) for the requsite time and are then churned out with no real education or the like to back it up.
The difference ofcourse is down to the teacher to student ratio in the private schools and also their ability to control those whose cause disturbances (something that is clearly not tolerated and dealt with swiftly).
And you can correct me if I am wrong here, but as far as I am aware there are 2 schools on the island that teach the Amercian system, Dart’s and Triple C, which is pointless considering we live in an Overseas British Territory. So you end up teaching the kids wholly irrelevant history, views, grammar, spelling etc that is completely different form the country thery live in. You might say that their parents want them to learn the American system because a) they are American b) they will be returning to the US for University (sorry College) or c) they can afford to send them to Dart’s instead of a public school. But the last time I checked, and again correct me if I am wrong, the UK system is far superior to that of the US edcuational system in terms of literacy, gaining secondary edcucation (graduating) etc and most if not all US Colleges will accept kids with UK grades / certifcates / passes at GCSE or A Level without even blinking an eyelid because they recognise the level of edcuation in the UK.
Something for you to digest….
Having been educated in the US, I would like to point out a few misperceptions in your post. Nothing really worth replying to, but rather to reach mutual understanding in our different education systems. Firstly, tertiary education may be obtained at either a College or University in the US. What Americans mean by College is that the tertiary institution does not offer post-Bachelor level programs, whereas a University will offer at least a Master’s program and more often Master’s and Doctorate’s degrees. Oftentimes, Universities are comprised of smaller Colleges (usually on the same campus, though occasionally with satellite locations for certain programs) specialising in different fields (Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, etc.).
I would also say that claiming British schooling is "far superior" at the secondary level is a bit misleading. While the averages show the British secondary education produces higher marks in most categories, the difference is certainly not such that it would validate the extent of your claim.
As for most US tertiary institutions accepting students with non-American educational credentials, they are, for the most part, accomodating of GCSE’s, French Baccalaureate marks, International Baccalaureate scores and other such indications of a student’s scholastic aptitude. However, they are far more comfortable with grading based on the traditional American 4.0/A-F method and course regimen, as it allows them to better compare international students with their American peers in an application pool.
Lastly, I’ll concede that if a student here is brought up within the American system, the history they will primarily be focused on might not be entirely appropriate to Cayman, but the issue of spelling and grammar is largely moot. Whether I write tyre or tire, centre or center, analyse or analyze or if I use a comma between the penultimate subject and ultimate subject of a series or not, I think my point will be properly understood here. I think the real issue is not which system should be used here, but rather how well each system is taught to the students. If the end result is that we have literate, articulate students with a broad multidisciplinary background and keen analytical skills, does it matter how we got there? Let’s just focus on getting there first.
Actually , it was the behaviour of the students in private schools during the earthquake a few weeks ago they were talking about. People were commenting on how well behaved they were compared to the kids at government schools. I also do not need you to correct my English as I am (not is) an East Ender who was educated in the US from k-12th grade and that was a simple mistake. The whole point is that all the schools have kids doing things they should not be doing. XXXXXX
Is this a comment page about the drugs found or a grammar lesson? Keep to the subject at hand.
Why are you picking on East Enders. Are they any less educated than those of other districts?
Maybe you should ask why the poster chose their name to represent the feelings of the whole of the East Side.
Why are you picking on East Enders
I have to agree with this writer, and no I’m not an East Ender. However here is my take. This is a serious issue and has nothing to do with education. If it does then Lord help us because this would mean you "stuck up" people would have nowhere to place your kids, because this would mean Cayman Prep has dropped it’s level of education. So stop trying to cry people down and pray for all of our children regardless of what school they are in.
the police never found the weed it was a teacher, and the canine left as it got tired, after finding food, and peeing on 3 students bags.
It doesn’t matter who found the weed smarty!!! the bottom line is that it was in the school and being consumed, and strong enough that teachers could have smelt it to be able to make a report to the police. My hat goes off to themfor taking action to protect the other students.
What is really sad is that younger students at the School will someday be exposed to this type of nonsense if we don’t take ACTION. Parents i’m begging you please pay close attention to your kids and look for changes in their behaviour, as being exposed to drugs, alcohol or anything illegal their attitude and behaviour changes and is very noticeable.
All we as parents can do is pray and hope for the best for our kids and try to grow them up in a way we know that is best. It doesn’t make sense to point fingers as this doesn’t get help for the problem. No one is perfect and we need to come together as a nation to fight this war in protecting our youth.
Keep Praying,
Stay Bless!
Hmmmmmmmm! A few weeks ago everyone was bragging about how great the kids in private school are compared to the ones in government schools. Just goes to show there is the same things happening in the private schools as the government schools but the private schools are better at hiding their dirt.
I think they were referring to overcrowding and rowdiness.
But wow, they couldn’t even wait till break or lunch time to light up? Hard core, man. This would not be considered good at hiding dirt.
Actually, I recently transferred my kids from government to Prep. What they have is a HIGHER level of education. BUT I agree, the same bad/disruptive elements exist in ALL schools.
"Actually, I recently transferred my kids from government to Prep. What they have is a HIGHER level of education. BUT I agree, the same bad/disruptive elements exist in ALL schools"
Can you please clarify "HIGHER level of education"?
This is a very ignorant comment. Obviously, there was no dirt hidden here, the story is being reported. Unfortunately, children are able make bad choices all the time whether they attend a private school or a public one. The point that matters most is how well these bad choices and the inevitable consequences are handled on a day to day basis by the institutions in question. When was the last time staff at a public school called in the police to find out the source of drugs on campus or actually enforced a zero tolerance policy? As a society we should all support a zero tolerance policy in all schools towards drugs, weapons and any other items that do not assist in improving the education of our youth. Cayman needs the best educated citizens possible to keep up in an increasingly difficult and competitive global environment. Let’s stop pointing fingers and deal with things more proactively.
Calling in the police and confining the pupils to their classrooms until it had been investigated does not strike me as the school was trying to hide their dirt. My child goes to the school and I wholly applaud the strong stance the school took in dealing with this situation.
There was no sweeping under the carpet here. The school suspected that a couple of pupils were carrying drugs, so they called the poilce to come and carry out a search whilst the kids were all locked down in classrooms and therefore couldn’t get rid of anything they might be carrying.
With Cayman27 news crews out the front, this doesn’t sound like they were trying to sweep it under the carpet. In fact just the opposite, they were trying to highlight the issue and make an example that whilst the government schools were happy to keep churning out monsters, they were weeding them out and making examples of them. The kids found with ganja were of course expelled.
Thank yu very much
Thank you for reminding us; I was one of those person who posted that the private schools had their issues and the kids were not saints. My son had a experience in one of those private schools which resulted in me taking him out – but I was jump on all over on this same CNS. But not one to rejoice; we dont need to crucify thes kids, they too endure peer pressure – just like the kids in public schools.
Get your facts right, read the article properly, the school called the police, they are not hiding their dirt, they are acting appropriately and calling in officials. If they were hiding their dirt they would not have called the police. I am a parent at the school and I am happy that they did so.