Tweet
this should not happen.. it needs education and standards.
Falling goal post kills six-year-old boy at school
Alesia Edwards
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
CHESTER, St Ann — Jevaugh Bailey, a six-year-old student of the Chester Primary School, was killed yesterday afternoon when a metal football goal post fell and hit him on the head when he attempted to climb on it.
Jevaugh was reportedly playing with friends during the lunch break on the school's playfield when tragedy struck. He was knocked unconscious and was rushed to the St Ann's Bay Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No other child was hurt during the incident.
The death of the six-year-old boy yesterday has brought to three the number of students to be killed by falling football goal posts this year at school. Earlier this year, two boys died in separate incidents in Kingston and Westmoreland after they, too, were playing during their break time.
Sharma Miles, a cousin of Jevaugh Bailey, said the entire family has been traumatised by the tragic and unfortunate incident. "A little boy run and call me and said the goal post fell on my little cousin and when I reach I saw them at the school gate putting him in a vehicle; he wasn't talking and foam was coming from his mouth," Miles recalled.
"We are shocked, he was a very brilliant boy, he was so special, very jovial and very talented," Miles said of her cousin who was enrolled at the school last month.
Yesterday, Maxine Headlam, director for the Ministry of Education's Region III office, said the incident was very unfortunate and is deeply regretted by the ministry. "It's not a good day for us at all," Headlam told the Observer. She said the region's trauma and grief counsellors visited the Chester Primary School yesterday and would return today to continue counselling both staff and students. "I personally will be going there tomorrow (today) because I want to meet with the family," she added.
Headlam said the incident brings into focus the need for proper recreational areas to be provided for the community. She pointed out that although the incident happened at school, the goal post belonged to community members and was taken there by residents who normally use the school's playfield.
Member of Parliament for North West St Ann, Othneil Lawrence, who said he was close to the family, expressed regrets at the tragic manner in which Jevaugh died.
"I am really saddened by this incident, not only because I am the member of Parliament for the area, but because I am a father and has a six-year-old too," said Lawrence, who is scheduled to meet today with boy's family to discuss assistance with the burial.
At the same time, the MP said proper assessment must be carried out of all children's play area to ensure they are safe.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1aaXWjIe8
Falling goal post kills six-year-old boy at school
Alesia Edwards
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
CHESTER, St Ann — Jevaugh Bailey, a six-year-old student of the Chester Primary School, was killed yesterday afternoon when a metal football goal post fell and hit him on the head when he attempted to climb on it.
Jevaugh was reportedly playing with friends during the lunch break on the school's playfield when tragedy struck. He was knocked unconscious and was rushed to the St Ann's Bay Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No other child was hurt during the incident.
The death of the six-year-old boy yesterday has brought to three the number of students to be killed by falling football goal posts this year at school. Earlier this year, two boys died in separate incidents in Kingston and Westmoreland after they, too, were playing during their break time.
Sharma Miles, a cousin of Jevaugh Bailey, said the entire family has been traumatised by the tragic and unfortunate incident. "A little boy run and call me and said the goal post fell on my little cousin and when I reach I saw them at the school gate putting him in a vehicle; he wasn't talking and foam was coming from his mouth," Miles recalled.
"We are shocked, he was a very brilliant boy, he was so special, very jovial and very talented," Miles said of her cousin who was enrolled at the school last month.
Yesterday, Maxine Headlam, director for the Ministry of Education's Region III office, said the incident was very unfortunate and is deeply regretted by the ministry. "It's not a good day for us at all," Headlam told the Observer. She said the region's trauma and grief counsellors visited the Chester Primary School yesterday and would return today to continue counselling both staff and students. "I personally will be going there tomorrow (today) because I want to meet with the family," she added.
Headlam said the incident brings into focus the need for proper recreational areas to be provided for the community. She pointed out that although the incident happened at school, the goal post belonged to community members and was taken there by residents who normally use the school's playfield.
Member of Parliament for North West St Ann, Othneil Lawrence, who said he was close to the family, expressed regrets at the tragic manner in which Jevaugh died.
"I am really saddened by this incident, not only because I am the member of Parliament for the area, but because I am a father and has a six-year-old too," said Lawrence, who is scheduled to meet today with boy's family to discuss assistance with the burial.
At the same time, the MP said proper assessment must be carried out of all children's play area to ensure they are safe.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1aaXWjIe8
Comment