The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ Union is in mourning.
We condemn in the strongest terms the senseless killing of 17-year-old Tafari Browne, a student of the West St. George Secondary School, who succumbed to his injuries on Monday, October 12th, following a brutal stabbing in Arnos Vale on Friday, October 9th.
No child should go to school and never return home. No parent, no grandparent, no classroom should have to bear this pain. Tafari was a child entrusted to our education system — our colleagues’ student, our nation’s son.
On behalf of the Executive and membership of the SVGTU, I extend our deepest condolences to Tafari’s family, particularly his grandmother and his mother, to his classmates, teachers, and the entire West St. George Secondary School family.
We are deeply troubled by the rising tide of youth violence that continues to claim our young people. This is not just a police matter. It is a national crisis that demands an all-hands-on-deck response.
The SVGTU therefore calls for:
1. Justice without delay – We urge the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force to conduct a swift, thorough investigation and bring the perpetrator(s) to justice.
2. Immediate psychosocial support – We call on the Ministry of Education to ensure sustained counselling for students and teachers at West St. George Secondary and surrounding schools, beyond the initial intervention.
3. A National Focus on Peace and Values – We must re-commit as a nation to values education, conflict resolution, empathy, and mentorship in every school. Safe spaces must be created where our children can express anger and pain without resorting to violence.
4. Peace in our communities – We urge all Vincentians — parents, churches, community groups, and our young people themselves — to choose peace. A knife, a cutlass, a gun is never the answer to a conflict.
To our teachers: Continue to be the guardians of peace in your classrooms in this difficult time.
To our students: We know many of you are hurting, angry, and numb. Please talk to someone — a teacher, a counsellor, a parent, a pastor. Violence only creates more grieving families.
Let Tafari’s death be a turning point, not just another statistic.
May his soul rest in peace.
