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Teenage middle-distance track sensation and national junior representative Waquar DaCosta has been suspended from Jamaica College (JC) for wearing pants that were too tight.
In an email
sent to THE STAR, a group identifying themselves as 'Concerned Parent Group' detested the move, calling the school's action against DaCosta and others - who they say were sent home for wearing white undershirts, as draconian.
A section from the email read: "There is no doubt that discipline needs to be maintained, especially among our young men, but when the captain of the track team is being suspended on the grounds of his pants being too tight, and students who are preparing for Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) (test) are being suspended for 10 days for revealing white tank tops under their uniform shirts, and others are being taken out of class all day for issues that should be secondary when it comes to preparation for final exams, such behaviour have left parents fuming."
Further in the article, the writer asked if a 'warning' could not have sufficed in the case of Dacosta, and raised the question of whether: "the future of students (should) be sacrificed under the guise of discipline, especially when the issues in question so far all seem to be frivolous?"
But JC principal Ruel Reid said parents and students have an obligation to comply with the rules of the school, especially in an area such as the proper school uniform, one which has been addressed countless times.
"We have a zero tolerance to indiscipline in any shape or form. We are resolute that discipline will be maintained," Reid said.
Reid said Dacosta was told that he was an influential figure on the compound and his disobeying of the no tight pants clause in the rule book would cause others to squeeze into theirs as well. As for the matter of the 10-day suspensions, the school head said no student was suspended solely for their white tank tops being exposed, "but the disrespect that they showed to the Dean of Discipline when they were approached about it."
"If you are going to represent Jamaica College you must do so with dignity, decorum and discipline," Reid said. "We are not of the view that because you are a star you are untouchable."
In an email
sent to THE STAR, a group identifying themselves as 'Concerned Parent Group' detested the move, calling the school's action against DaCosta and others - who they say were sent home for wearing white undershirts, as draconian.
A section from the email read: "There is no doubt that discipline needs to be maintained, especially among our young men, but when the captain of the track team is being suspended on the grounds of his pants being too tight, and students who are preparing for Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) (test) are being suspended for 10 days for revealing white tank tops under their uniform shirts, and others are being taken out of class all day for issues that should be secondary when it comes to preparation for final exams, such behaviour have left parents fuming."
Further in the article, the writer asked if a 'warning' could not have sufficed in the case of Dacosta, and raised the question of whether: "the future of students (should) be sacrificed under the guise of discipline, especially when the issues in question so far all seem to be frivolous?"
But JC principal Ruel Reid said parents and students have an obligation to comply with the rules of the school, especially in an area such as the proper school uniform, one which has been addressed countless times.
"We have a zero tolerance to indiscipline in any shape or form. We are resolute that discipline will be maintained," Reid said.
Reid said Dacosta was told that he was an influential figure on the compound and his disobeying of the no tight pants clause in the rule book would cause others to squeeze into theirs as well. As for the matter of the 10-day suspensions, the school head said no student was suspended solely for their white tank tops being exposed, "but the disrespect that they showed to the Dean of Discipline when they were approached about it."
"If you are going to represent Jamaica College you must do so with dignity, decorum and discipline," Reid said. "We are not of the view that because you are a star you are untouchable."
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