AN INVESTIGATION has been launched by the Guam Department of Education into why about 20 students at Upi Elementary School in Yigo used blades from pencil sharpeners to cut themselves.
Robert Malay, acting deputy superintendent of educational support and community learning, has confirmed the incident which was reported last Friday by the principal who took “immediate and urgent action on the matter.”
None of the children were hospitalized nor did any of them receive stitches.
“What we did when the principal reported it to the central office is we activated a response team and a response plan. Part of that plan was to also activate some other agencies so they can provide support not just to the students, but also to the families,” Malay said.
It is not known if the incident is a trend similar to the “cinnamon spice game” wherein students attempt to swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon without having to spit it out.
“Part of the response plan is to get as much information as we can on why this was happening; what led the children to do what they were doing, analyzing it, and making a report so we can make further decisions on what needs to be addressed,” Malay said.
“It could be that it was something observed and imitated. It could be that one child had done it and the others felt peer pressure to do it. We’re not sure why it happened. We believe it happened in different pockets, away from the school in some cases, and possibly at the school in other cases,” he added.
No comment
When asked about the ages of the students and their ethnicity, Malay couldn’t comment pending the outcome of the investigation.
“I would like to say the investigation should be quick and accurate,” he said. “We’re hoping that folks are very sensitive to this. What we would like to also stress is this is not necessarily isolated at one school. We want people to be aware that it’s important to talk to their children to look for signs or symptoms.”
“At the end of the day, it’s not that we’re talking about a public school student or a group of students; we’re talking about children, and that is what really hurts here. It doesn’t matter what school they’re at, whether it’s a public school or a private school, these are kids and they are too precious to not pay attention to,” Malay stressed.
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