Jamaica’s Ministry of Education and Youth has launched an investigation to help determine the protocols for school devotional exercises following an incident at Oberlin High School on Wednesday morning.
The students at Oberlin High School in St Andrew, Jamaica, were dismissed early on Wednesday following an incident in which students allegedly fell to the ground screaming after a religious exercise.
Juliet Cuthbert Flynn, Member of Parliament for St Andrew West Rural, said she was in the Lawrence Tavern area and stopped by the school after receiving reports from students.
The MP shared that she was told that a teacher was preaching or praying and had caught into the spirit and was speaking in tongues.
She added that students started to fall with froth coming out their mouths, and some of them are unable to walk.
Cuthbert Flynn reported seeing students on the ground upon her arrival at Oberlin High School.
The MP said she spoke with one of the school’s guidance counselors who gave a similar account to the students, and stated that the incident had been reported to the Ministry of Education.
Speaking on the incident, Education Minister Fayval Williams in a statement released on Wednesday evening, said: “While we encourage devotion in school, our school leaders have a responsibility to exercise caution as to content and likely impact on students as evidenced by the reaction of students at Oberlin High School this morning.”
Williams noted the early dismissal of classes at the school after a series of events led to a disruption of normal activities there.
The minister said the school administration reported that during the devotional exercise, a teacher who was leading the worship had an experience that included an extended period of “speaking in tongues”, which triggered a chain reaction of similar expressions among some students.
“Some students reportedly became overwhelmed, some falling to the ground. Other students and teachers attempted to bring calm to the situation, including praying with the affected children. Some were taken to the school nurse’s office,” said Williams.
The minister shared that after the devotion, the students were sent to their classes.
However, the agitated environment led some students to express feelings of being afraid, and others displaying what was described as “abnormal behaviour”.
The administration said given the overall circumstances, school was dismissed at 10am and the students were allowed to leave, except for those on the PATH programme, who were allowed to stay on the compound to collect their lunches.
