Elgin Taylor, Gleaner Writer
PRINCIPALS OF some schools in Clarendon and St. Catherine have expressed great concern about the impact the proposed bifurcated or two-tier school system being implemented by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture will have on their institutions.
At a meeting, last October, with the director of region six, Dr. Fitz-Albert Russell, the group of principals, known as the St. Catherine/Clarendon Cluster 26, was told that there was a proposal to abolish all-age and junior high schools, but no timetable was set as consultations were still going on.
SERIOUS DISLOCATIONS
But, the principals at a meeting at McCook's Pen Primary school, last Thursday, are contending that the plan was already being implemented, and that it would cause serious dislocations in the system.
Mrs. Beryl Allen, principal of Four Paths Primary and Junior High School in Clarendon, is anticipating problems with the placement of teachers within the system. She is particularly concerned about specialist teachers, in grade seven to nine, who are not trained to teach at the primary level. One principal claimed that they would be transferred to other schools. The question as to what would happen to senior teachers was also raised.
NO ACCOMMODATION
Principal of Palmer's Cross Primary and Junior High School, Mrs. Gennis Thomas, told the group that children were being sent to her school by the Ministry, but she had nowhere to accommodate them.
Another principal, Mr. Beresford McLean, principal of Linstead Primary and Junior High School in St. Catherine, expressed the fear that with the impending changes, the possibility exists for the redundancy of certain accounting and secretarial positions. He said he was aware of at least one school in this situation, although the workload remained virtually the same.
The president of the group, and principal of Chapelton All-Age School, Mr. Jeremiah Golding, said the Ministry
had been having meetings with parent/teacher association members in a few affected areas, and that while this was commendable, he wondered whether the Ministry understood the gravity of the situation. It was unanimously agreed that, in order to allay the concerns, the schools should be officially informed of the developments and decisions by the Ministry.
