Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Karl Samuda, on Wednesday met with the board of Pembroke Hall High School in St Andrew in a bid to broker an amicable solution in the wake of last week's viral video of a teacher at the institution berating a male student, including threatening to kill him, before ordering him out of her classroom.

The incident set off a lively debate among Jamaicans at home and abroad, with some supporting the teacher and others condemning her actions. In a statement last week, Samuda called the teacher’s behaviour “unacceptable”, and suggested that the development has no place in the public school system.

Attorney Andre Earle was strident in his criticism of the minister, and upbraided him for his words, suggesting that he should not have made any pronouncement on the matter, which should have been properly left to the school board to handle in the best interest of all concerned. The school board has since launched an investigation into the matter.

During Wednesday’s meeting at the Heroes Circle offices of the Ministry of Education, board members of the school identified the need for stress management programmes to assist members of the school population to better handle difficult situations, according to a statement that was issued by the ministry.

The board members also requested additional infrastructural support for the institution. Samuda committed to providing the school with the needed support. “We will provide professional development programmes, including a stress management component for members of staff. A parent inclusion programme will be rolled out at the school. In addition, we will provide (more) infrastructural support. This will include classrooms, a dedicated smart room to assist with specialist interventions at the school, as well as equipment to support their TVET programme,” said Samuda in a release sent to the JAMAICA TIMES.