Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

( L - R ) Lawrence, Molloy

The Ministry of Education has warned institutions which refuse students entry on the grounds of tardiness to desist from the practice because of its illegality.

Jasper Lawrence, chief education officer in the ministry, said the warning was even more important in light of the recent spate of child abductions.

'That (locking students out) really exposes students to all sorts of risks when parents expect them to be in the care of school," Lawrence told The Gleaner Monday.

The bureaucrat said while the ministry did not have a specific policy on blocking student access, the Education Act stipulates that all students should be in class during school hours.

"It is illegal to lock out any child and as soon as it is brought to the attention of the regional office, we monitor to ensure that schools desist from this practice," Lawrence said.

Inherent dangers

Meanwhile, Nadine Molloy, president of the Jamaica Association of Secondary School Principals, said while she understood that there were some inherent dangers in not granting students entry, the unrestricted flow of late students disrupted classes and was un-productive to teaching functions.

"Where do we draw the line? Do we continue to allow students to walk in late and disrupt classes?" Molloy asked.

She noted that some schools have a holding area for students who are late. She suggested that other schools follow suit.

Molloy, who is principal of Buff Bay High School in Portland, urged institutions to use discretion in tackling tardiness.

"But it is unacceptable for a student who can walk to school to come here late," she said.

Molloy said another solution is to get parents to ensure that their children turn up for classes on time.

However, she noted that it was difficult in some cases to find responsible parents.

In the meantime, the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) on Monday condemned the wanton attacks on children and women nationwide.

State of panic

The teachers' union said it had received reports of parents and teachers' in some areas being in a state of panic because of the increasing attempts to abduct children.

"The violence against our children has reached crisis proportions. The association calls on the Government to take all the steps necessary to apprehend those who continue to brutally murder the defenceless persons among us," stated a release from the JTA.

petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com