In just the first two months of 2025, more than 85 suspensions were recorded across the Virgin Islands’ four public secondary schools—a staggering figure that education officials say highlights a worsening crisis of student behaviour. The suspensions, Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Honourable Sharie B. de Castro revealed, stemmed primarily from drug-related offences, violent altercations, and sexually inappropriate behaviour—some involving students as young as twelve years old.

“These are not isolated events,” de Castro told the House of Assembly on Tuesday. “They are evidence of a deeper, systemic challenge that no school system can address in isolation.”

The troubling data was presented to the National Security Council in February, she said. That presentation set off a wider government response, including a joint meeting with the Ministry of Health and senior officials from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, culminating in the creation of two national response mechanisms: a Steering Group on Student Wellbeing and a multi-agency Task Force on Student Support and Intervention. Both bodies have since been established, with the Steering Group scheduled to meet for the first time this week.

“We are acting with urgency, purpose, and a deep commitment to safeguarding the well-being and potential of every child in this Territory,” the Minister stated. “What we are facing is not just an education issue—it is a community issue, a social issue, and in many cases, a public health issue.”

To support the new response mechanisms, the Ministry has developed a comprehensive Framework for Student Support and Wellbeing, which outlines a multipronged strategy aimed at tackling the root causes of misconduct. The plan includes increased access to school-based counselling, the integration of social-emotional learning into classrooms, training for teachers in restorative justice and child safeguarding, and the expansion of alternative education options for students at risk of exclusion.

Schools have already begun implementing localised responses. At Bregado Flax Educational Centre – Secondary Division on Virgin Gorda, a Student Behaviour Committee has been formed to develop targeted interventions. Meanwhile, Elmore Stoutt High School has launched the BEAM Programme (Beatitudes, Empowerment, and Mentorship), a new initiative focused on supporting students with serious behavioural and emotional challenges. The programme held its first meetings in May, drawing strong support from law enforcement, mental health professionals, and community members.

“Our schools are not standing still,” said de Castro. “They are adapting, innovating, and showing a remarkable commitment to student wellbeing.”

The Territory is also looking beyond its borders for solutions. Earlier this year, officials travelled to the UK, supported by the BVI London Office, the UK Department of Education, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. There, they engaged with the Violence Reduction Unit and visited several intervention models firsthand, including the SAFE Barbershop Programme, which offers culturally responsive mentorship for young Black males.

“These are not aspirational concepts,” the Minister told legislators. “These are actionable models that the Virgin Islands is now working to adapt and apply in our own schools and communities.”

De Castro emphasised that the Ministry cannot act alone. She issued a public call for churches, youth groups, and private citizens to step forward as community mentors and volunteer youth workers.

“We need your presence, your experience, and your voice,” she said. “Whether you are a retired educator, a faith leader, or simply a citizen who wants to help, this is your moment.”

These volunteers, she added, will receive training and work alongside educators and mental health professionals to offer mentorship, counselling, and support to at-risk students.

The Ministry also has plans to propose legislative and budgetary changes in the coming weeks, with a long-term vision of creating a dedicated student support facility where vulnerable youth can receive academic help, therapy, and life-skills training outside of traditional classrooms.

“Our goal is to build a system that does not just react to misbehaviour, but anticipates and prevents it,” de Castro said. “One that does not stigmatise, but supports. One that does not cast out, but lifts up.”

She closed with a direct message to the community: “We will not allow any child to slip through the cracks because we failed to act—or worse, because we failed to care. Together, with our schools, our communities, our churches, and this Government—we will rise to meet this moment.”