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KC boys must be back in class today, Holness orders
BY KIMONE THOMPSON Observer staff reporter
THE 56 Kingston College sixth-form students who were sent on indefinite suspension last week for non-payment of fees, are to be reinstated today, Education Minister Andrew Holness has ordered.
Holness blasted the school’s action as inconsistent with the regulations under the Education Act and declared that Kingston College could not bar students on the basis that they had not paid fees.
“The minister is concerned with students being sent home or excluded from classes and he wishes to remind all principals that no child is to be excluded from classes or is to be discriminated against by virtue of his inability to pay,” Holness’ spokesperson, Dr Charlene Ashley said.
“We understand the position of the school. However, we cannot endorse the students being excluded from school. We’re working with the school to continue its dialogue with the parents to encourage them to make arrangements to pay and to honour their obligations,” or Ashley, the communications director at the ministry, told the Observer.
The boys were sent home from school on Thursday for the non-payment of school fees amounting to $15,000 and were told not to return until the fees were paid or arrangements made to pay them.
The action came against the government’s decision to cover all secondary school fees, including refunding those already paid by parents and guardians for the current academic year, a policy which was said to have tipped the general elections in favour of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
But KC principal, Rupert Hemmings, defended his decision to send home the boys, most of whom are
from the upper sixth form and who are slated to sit external Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) next June.
“...It’s not so much about payment. It’s a principle we’re defending here,” Hemmings shot back. “We can’t have our kids believe that this is a way of life. School is about a lot of things and if we want kids to believe that you don’t pay but you can just walk in, what’s going to happen to our society?” he asked.
Hemmings maintained that although the sixth form sum was labelled “contribution”, it must be paid because, unlike the case for forms one to five, sixth form “is a privilege”.
“Whether you want to call it school fee, tuition fee or otherwise, as it relates to sixth formers, they pay a fee which may be a contribution to pay the light bill, to pay the water bill, to help pay part-time teachers. We are getting caught up in words and at the end of the day all of these monies do the same thing,” he insisted.
BY KIMONE THOMPSON Observer staff reporter
THE 56 Kingston College sixth-form students who were sent on indefinite suspension last week for non-payment of fees, are to be reinstated today, Education Minister Andrew Holness has ordered.
Holness blasted the school’s action as inconsistent with the regulations under the Education Act and declared that Kingston College could not bar students on the basis that they had not paid fees.
“The minister is concerned with students being sent home or excluded from classes and he wishes to remind all principals that no child is to be excluded from classes or is to be discriminated against by virtue of his inability to pay,” Holness’ spokesperson, Dr Charlene Ashley said.
“We understand the position of the school. However, we cannot endorse the students being excluded from school. We’re working with the school to continue its dialogue with the parents to encourage them to make arrangements to pay and to honour their obligations,” or Ashley, the communications director at the ministry, told the Observer.
The boys were sent home from school on Thursday for the non-payment of school fees amounting to $15,000 and were told not to return until the fees were paid or arrangements made to pay them.
The action came against the government’s decision to cover all secondary school fees, including refunding those already paid by parents and guardians for the current academic year, a policy which was said to have tipped the general elections in favour of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
But KC principal, Rupert Hemmings, defended his decision to send home the boys, most of whom are
from the upper sixth form and who are slated to sit external Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) next June.
“...It’s not so much about payment. It’s a principle we’re defending here,” Hemmings shot back. “We can’t have our kids believe that this is a way of life. School is about a lot of things and if we want kids to believe that you don’t pay but you can just walk in, what’s going to happen to our society?” he asked.
Hemmings maintained that although the sixth form sum was labelled “contribution”, it must be paid because, unlike the case for forms one to five, sixth form “is a privilege”.
“Whether you want to call it school fee, tuition fee or otherwise, as it relates to sixth formers, they pay a fee which may be a contribution to pay the light bill, to pay the water bill, to help pay part-time teachers. We are getting caught up in words and at the end of the day all of these monies do the same thing,” he insisted.
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