'Perturbed parent', Shanique Thomas, is almost too hot to handle for Ovnelle Smith (left), a teacher during a simulation exercise at Donald Quarrie High School in St Andrew.' - Contributed

On the last day of November, all is calm at Donald Quarrie (DQ) High School, Harbour View, St Andrew. The school term is turning the corner for the home stretch to Christmas, as the athlete after whom it is named would come off the bend and power towards the line in the 200m. The sea, visible from the school, is calm; the intermittent vehicle chugs past on the highway to St Thomas; the late students who have been sent home have dissipated; the weather is balmy.

The 'parent' who zeroes in on the school's gate like a force of nature is not. Her rage shows in a determined stomp which shakes her knitted headgear, her narrowed eyes shooting daggers at the two security guards at the DQ entrance even before she speaks. When she does, it is with a vehemence which, though inappropriate, is impressive in its sheer malevolence.

Emotional demand

"Me waan fi talk to Ms Brown!" the parent announces at a pitch and volume which should alert Ms Brown to impending doom - even if she is teaching in a classroom at the back of the school - slapping the orange metal gates. The guards keep calm, their voices low as they respond, describing the procedure for visitors. "Me nuh waan sign nuh book!" the parent hollers, dismissing gate and guards with a shove of her strapping frame, picking up momentum again as she walks into the quadrangle, her voice echoing from the concrete.

"Hey, Ms Brown!" she clarions. There is another song as well - the wail of a bullhorn. "Nuh tell me nutten!" she bellows at the teachers who quickly converge on the scene, even as a security guard continues with a futile attempt at reason. Her handbag hits the deck with a bang. "Me nuh understan' wha a gwaan wid Ms Brown, why Ms Brown a tek set pon my chile!"

Wherever her child is at the moment, it's not in the schoolyard. No children are. They are looking at the clutch of teachers, enraged parent and security personnel from their classrooms, corralled by their tutors.

Even the highest-category hurricane must lose a little velocity at some point and the parent does, still announcing her complaints about Ms Brown to the universe as she is redirected to the principal's office, accompanied by the staff members. Inside the office, seated, her voice quakes with emotion as she demands: "Ms Brown, how you so wicked? Why Ms Brown a tek set pon my pickney, like a my pickney alone inna de school?"

There is another signal on the bullhorn and normal activity resumes at the school. After a few minutes, the parent's powerful puffing gradually subsides and she is back to normal too, a pleasant Shanique Thomas from performing ensemble Ashe who has just put on a superb performance in a critical incident management drill at Donald Quarrie High.

Vice principal on the morning shift, Zena Williams, and Peace and Love in Society (PALS) trainer Sybil James, who organised the drill to test the effectiveness of the critical incident management team Williams established about four weeks ago, are pleased.

"Everything went as planned. The parent forced her way in and we were able to calm her down. The children stayed inside, with the help of the teachers. We did not have any disruptions at all," Williams said.

Five-year MOU

The school did not have a trained response team before PALS put one in place. Donald Quarrie is one of 15 high schools in which the programme is being implemented in the first phase of a five-year memorandum of understanding between PALS and the Ministry of Education. Ninety primary and junior high schools have also been introduced to the programme under the agreement.

PALS presents the schools with a number of scenarios for critical incident management drills and Williams said they chose the irate parent because of its relevance to their situation. Previous incidents have disrupted the school day. She points out, though, that the school does have two competent security guards, so she had some level of confidence previously.

There are critical incident management teams on the morning and evening shifts, 26 persons in all, comprising a medical team, transportation coordinator, perimeter coordinator (who controls the gate), parent coordinator (who communicates with the parents of children directly involved in any incident) and a media coordinator, who liaises with the press. DQ principal Reford Hines holds the last position and also selects the persons for the teams.

"You don't have to send anyone. You just see them where they are supposed to be," Williams said.

The police were called in as part of the drill but arrived after the 'incident' was over. However, a very pleasant corporal gave a reasonable explanation for the late response and provided VP Williams a slew of numbers for direct communication.