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Cream of the crop for new Bluefields school
Education Minister will not admit illiterate students
BY HAILE MIKA'EL
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Education Ministry will trash several conventions en route to establishing a model of its ideal school in Bluefields, Westmoreland.
"We have to try something new," Education Minister Andrew Holness told a community consultation meeting at the New Hope Primary & Junior High School in Whitehouse, Westmoreland last week.
Consequently, the school will not accept any student who is illiterate; a school board will not be appointed to manage the school for the first five or six years and the principal will be hired on a performance-based contract to be evaluated periodically.
Over 500 citizens listened as Holness, who headed a delegation of officials from his ministry, outlined plans for the yet-to-be-named institution which will be run according to a system which the minister said had been "studied as best practices to build an efficient, equitable school".
"It's the people, the community, the family, everyone who makes the school. we need your help to make your new school the best school," he said.
Blaming the failure of some schools on poor management and lack of accountability, due to "chumminess of the Principal and Board Chairman", Holness said that his Ministry will manage the school under a "scheme of management" for a period of five to six years until it has "developed a culture of excellence", after which a Board will be appointed.
Although the plan is to take the cream of the crop from the feeder schools, Holness said the student body will reflect "a fair mix".
Students will benefit from a nutrition programme; an Education Management Information System using a computer database for proper documentation to analyse their problems and performance; and Guidance Counsellors who will also interact with parents, who themselves may face sanctions if they neglect sending students to school.
Luther Buchanan, Member of Parliament for the Westmoreland Eastern Constituency where the school is located, reminded Holness of the relevance of the proposal to name the school in honour of the constituency's first Elected Representative, Honourable F L B 'Slave Boy' Evans, However Holness said further community consultations in respect of choosing a name will be held.
The school, which is equipped to accommodate some 840 students, is set to begin operation in September 2009 with 200 Grade 7 and 100 Grade 9 students. Members of the audience that included Reverend Noel Montieth, the former Senator and Minister of State in the Education Ministry, questioned the legality of the proposed scheme of management and whether students from the area who didn't make the cut would be forced to travel to school outside of the community.
Concerns as to whether the playfield was adequate were also raised, while one resident suggested that the main road leading to the school be fixed by September.
Education Minister will not admit illiterate students
BY HAILE MIKA'EL
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Education Ministry will trash several conventions en route to establishing a model of its ideal school in Bluefields, Westmoreland.
"We have to try something new," Education Minister Andrew Holness told a community consultation meeting at the New Hope Primary & Junior High School in Whitehouse, Westmoreland last week.
Consequently, the school will not accept any student who is illiterate; a school board will not be appointed to manage the school for the first five or six years and the principal will be hired on a performance-based contract to be evaluated periodically.
Over 500 citizens listened as Holness, who headed a delegation of officials from his ministry, outlined plans for the yet-to-be-named institution which will be run according to a system which the minister said had been "studied as best practices to build an efficient, equitable school".
"It's the people, the community, the family, everyone who makes the school. we need your help to make your new school the best school," he said.
Blaming the failure of some schools on poor management and lack of accountability, due to "chumminess of the Principal and Board Chairman", Holness said that his Ministry will manage the school under a "scheme of management" for a period of five to six years until it has "developed a culture of excellence", after which a Board will be appointed.
Although the plan is to take the cream of the crop from the feeder schools, Holness said the student body will reflect "a fair mix".
Students will benefit from a nutrition programme; an Education Management Information System using a computer database for proper documentation to analyse their problems and performance; and Guidance Counsellors who will also interact with parents, who themselves may face sanctions if they neglect sending students to school.
Luther Buchanan, Member of Parliament for the Westmoreland Eastern Constituency where the school is located, reminded Holness of the relevance of the proposal to name the school in honour of the constituency's first Elected Representative, Honourable F L B 'Slave Boy' Evans, However Holness said further community consultations in respect of choosing a name will be held.
The school, which is equipped to accommodate some 840 students, is set to begin operation in September 2009 with 200 Grade 7 and 100 Grade 9 students. Members of the audience that included Reverend Noel Montieth, the former Senator and Minister of State in the Education Ministry, questioned the legality of the proposed scheme of management and whether students from the area who didn't make the cut would be forced to travel to school outside of the community.
Concerns as to whether the playfield was adequate were also raised, while one resident suggested that the main road leading to the school be fixed by September.