Parents are seeking redress over the expulsion of 26 students from the Paramakatoi Secondary School, after a quantity of marijuana was found under a bed at the school’s dormitory.
The incident occurred during the last quarter of 2011 and involved a disagreement between the Education Department in Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) and the office of the Regional Administration, a source in the region related. It was noted that the stand taken by the Education Department was met with opposition from the regional authorities. However the decision was maintained and supported by the Education Ministry.
Attempts to reach officials at the Regional Education Department of the region were futile.
When contacted, Education Minister Priya Manickchand, who had not heard of the mass expulsion, which was done under the previous minister, said she would investigate it.
A letter signed by the parents and addressed to this newspaper stated that “no student was found in possession of the drug” and that the matter was not properly investigated by the authorities.
A correspondence dated November 14, 2011, addressed to the head teacher of the school and signed by Regional Education Officer (REdO) of Region Eight Marcia Paddy-Andrews stated that the decision taken by the District Education Officer (DEO) at Paramakatoi and the senior welfare officer was fully supported by the Department of Education.
Andrews’s letter said the department was not prepared to ignore the seriousness of the offence, adding that the decision to expel the students was carried out in accordance with the relevant disciplinary guidelines for schools.
The REdO had instructed the head teacher of the school to expel the three main students involved in the matter and instructed that the others be expelled from the dormitory. She also urged that the school get the police involved in the matter and that any adults involved be dealt with as well as the farms in sections of the area be destroyed.
Regarding the expulsions, parents noted in their letter that the students involved were preparing to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams and are no longer eligible to sit the exams. According to the parents, all the students were found guilty of “associating with the one under whose mattress the illegal substance was found”.
The letter stated too that the student, under whose mattress the substance was found, said he was not aware of how it could have gotten there.
Meanwhile, REdO’s letter chided former Region Eight chairman Senor Bell for interfering. “It is therefore felt that Senor Bell was not within his right to overturn any decision taken on behalf of the department,” the letter said. “Furthermore no discussion was held with the officers… if this was done Mr Bell would have been properly briefed on the issue and any embarrassment on behalf of the officers and the department would have been avoided.”
The letter also said: “We need to be reminded [that] while everyone may not find favour in decision taken by the department it is still our responsibility to uphold the policy of the Ministry of Education.” To ignore this, the letter said, would be like a slap in the face of the persons in authority.
