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<DIV></DIV><DIV><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Hampton High's embarrassment of riches</SPAN>
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Tuesday, September 05, 2006
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<P class=StoryText align=justify>If a school has to have a problem, it is better to have the one that the Hampton High School in Malvern, St Elizabeth is having. And yet what a great pity it is that in 2006, and after all the advances we have made in education, that any school in Jamaica should be having this problem.<P class=StoryText align=justify>With 142 girls eligible to go to sixth form, having secured five or more subjects at the Caribbean Examination Council's (CXC) general proficiency level in June, Hampton High has only space for just over half that number.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In trying to be as objective as possible in their selection of which girls to give the limited space, the school has resorted to 'good behaviour' as the criterion which will separate what is obviously a batch of very bright girls at Hampton High.<P class=StoryText align=justify>According to Principal Heather Murray, the school has space for only 80 out of the 142 who are qualified to go on to sixth form. Of that 142, there are 90 girls with passes in eight or more subjects. Among those who are being refused space are girls with as many as seven subjects.<P class=StoryText align=justify>This is indeed cruel irony and a clear case that Hampton High is a victim of its own success, as our stablemate, the Sunday Observer wrote.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In recent times, we have bemoaned the poor performances in the CXC. No doubt, schools like Hampton have stepped up the pace and are reaping success.
For Hampton High, this embarrassment of riches has exposed the fact that it is possible that our schools are not prepared for the kind of success that the St Elizabeth school is experiencing.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I've had to go home and pray about it," Principal Murray said of the situation at Hampton High. And we sympathise with her every step of the way.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Our hearts go out to Ms Murray and her school community, especially after hearing that they had to turn away a girl with seven subjects, on the rather flimsy basis that she had an unauthorised cell phone in her possession when she was in fourth form.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We repeat the anguished words of Ms Murray: "Something just isn't right about that."
The choice of 'good behaviour' as a criterion for selection shows thought by the school. But we suspect that it has within it the seeds of conflict. For the day some parent decides to narrowly define 'good behaviour' to suit their daughter, against the wishes of the school, there's going to be a problem.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We suggest that this is a case for Education Minister Maxine Henry Wilson, the Education Transformation team and the Jamaica Teachers' Association to jump on immediately. Indeed Hampton may not be alone in its distress.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We gather that there is a proposal to build a new sixth form block at a cost of $40 million at Hampton. While we can't comment on the cost, we believe that this is a very deserving school and anything that can be done to ensure that all the deserving students find a place in sixth form, must be done. Urgently!<P class=StoryText align=justify>In the meantime, shouldn't it be possible for other nearby sixth forms - say at Munro College, Mannings High, Manchester High etc - to offer any vacant places that they may have?
Whatever happens, these bright Jamaican girls must not be set adrift without a place to continue their education this term. This just will not do.</DIV>
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Tuesday, September 05, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>If a school has to have a problem, it is better to have the one that the Hampton High School in Malvern, St Elizabeth is having. And yet what a great pity it is that in 2006, and after all the advances we have made in education, that any school in Jamaica should be having this problem.<P class=StoryText align=justify>With 142 girls eligible to go to sixth form, having secured five or more subjects at the Caribbean Examination Council's (CXC) general proficiency level in June, Hampton High has only space for just over half that number.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In trying to be as objective as possible in their selection of which girls to give the limited space, the school has resorted to 'good behaviour' as the criterion which will separate what is obviously a batch of very bright girls at Hampton High.<P class=StoryText align=justify>According to Principal Heather Murray, the school has space for only 80 out of the 142 who are qualified to go on to sixth form. Of that 142, there are 90 girls with passes in eight or more subjects. Among those who are being refused space are girls with as many as seven subjects.<P class=StoryText align=justify>This is indeed cruel irony and a clear case that Hampton High is a victim of its own success, as our stablemate, the Sunday Observer wrote.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In recent times, we have bemoaned the poor performances in the CXC. No doubt, schools like Hampton have stepped up the pace and are reaping success.
For Hampton High, this embarrassment of riches has exposed the fact that it is possible that our schools are not prepared for the kind of success that the St Elizabeth school is experiencing.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I've had to go home and pray about it," Principal Murray said of the situation at Hampton High. And we sympathise with her every step of the way.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Our hearts go out to Ms Murray and her school community, especially after hearing that they had to turn away a girl with seven subjects, on the rather flimsy basis that she had an unauthorised cell phone in her possession when she was in fourth form.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We repeat the anguished words of Ms Murray: "Something just isn't right about that."
The choice of 'good behaviour' as a criterion for selection shows thought by the school. But we suspect that it has within it the seeds of conflict. For the day some parent decides to narrowly define 'good behaviour' to suit their daughter, against the wishes of the school, there's going to be a problem.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We suggest that this is a case for Education Minister Maxine Henry Wilson, the Education Transformation team and the Jamaica Teachers' Association to jump on immediately. Indeed Hampton may not be alone in its distress.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We gather that there is a proposal to build a new sixth form block at a cost of $40 million at Hampton. While we can't comment on the cost, we believe that this is a very deserving school and anything that can be done to ensure that all the deserving students find a place in sixth form, must be done. Urgently!<P class=StoryText align=justify>In the meantime, shouldn't it be possible for other nearby sixth forms - say at Munro College, Mannings High, Manchester High etc - to offer any vacant places that they may have?
Whatever happens, these bright Jamaican girls must not be set adrift without a place to continue their education this term. This just will not do.</DIV>
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