(Trinidad Guardian) Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly says there is no policy barring children from wearing clothing other than their school uniform to attend functions at their schools.
The minister told Guardian Media yesterday that she is now investigating and has asked for a report regarding a memo that was sent to the principal of the Penal Rock Presbyterian School that resulted in the students being unable to wear East Indian attire on the eve of Divali on Wednesday.
Guardian Media reported on the story on Wednesday, after obtaining a copy of the circular purportedly sent by a school supervisor 1 to the school’s principal.
The memo informed the principal of a policy that students could not wear traditional apparel to school and would, therefore, have to report in their uniforms and then change over during the course of the school day. The principal expressed concern about this process and, as a result, opted to cancel the idea.
This upset parents, some of whom had purchased Indian wear for their children for the occasion.
However, commenting on the decision via WhatsApp yesterday, Gadsby-Dolly said principals have the authority to authorise variations to the school uniform for school activities, and this has been the practice.
She added, “No official of the Ministry of Education, including the Permanent Secretary, the Chief Education Officer, and the Director of School Supervision, have identified any policy, official or unwritten—which restricts variation of the school uniform by principals for school activities, and none which specifies that students can only change out of uniform while on the school compound.”
The minister said principals’ authority to vary the school uniform for school activities will now be reiterated via circular memorandum to all supervisors and principals.
Following the Guardian Media article highlighting the issue and the parents’ disgust with the decision, the Presbyterian Primary Schools’ Board of Education also issued a release yesterday, making it clear they had no objection to students and teachers of its 72 primary schools wearing East Indian attire to mark Divali celebrations.
The board said negative comments on social media blaming the Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago and the board were not based on facts but conjecture and false information.
“The fact is that the principal’s actions were based on a written directive to her and other principals in the Education District. The board fully understands the angst of parents in all our schools who are upset that their children did not get the opportunity to celebrate Divali at school in their traditional East Indian wear.”
The board expressed concern that the guidance and advice given to principals by Ministry of Education officials across Education Districts were diverse and not consistent and called on the ministry to issue clear written guidelines to all principals on this matter.
Noting that primary schools do not have change rooms, the board stated that having children change their clothes in school would be challenging to manage, bearing in mind the conditions of some washrooms.
The board added that students’ privacy and storage of uniforms, shoes and other issues should also be considered.
The board added that it is willing to work with all stakeholders to find a process that would ensure students’ safety, while allowing them to engage in activities that involve wearing clothing other than their school uniforms.
