News

SCHOOL RIFT

By FRANCINE BLACK, Staff Reporter

A CONTROVERSY IS brewing around the closure and reopening of the Jericho Baptist Basic School in Linstead, St. Catherine and the subsequent dismissal of the principal and a long-serving teacher.

The school, registered by the Ministry of Education, was closed indefinitely in December by the Jericho Baptist Church due to what was reported as administrative problems. However the Church reportedly changed its mind and reopened on January 10 without the knowledge of the Ministry.

Helen Morris, education officer responsible for the school, told THE STAR that she was aware of the school's closure, but said the school had not followed protocol by formally informing them of their reopening.

"I was called and told that the school has reopened with 10 students," she said.

Morris said that she had not found any administrative problems with the school and had been as surprised as the teachers to find out that the school was closing.

When the school was closed, the principal of the school who had taught for 22 years and a teacher who gave 12 years of service, were dismissed after they received a letter from Kinghorn and Kinghorn, attorneys-at-law informing them of the school's closure.

"We act for and on the authority of the Jericho Baptist Basic school. Due to certain germane problems being experienced with the running and administration of the school, the school will be closed down. We hereby formally advise and inform you that your services will no longer be required," the letter said.

When THE STAR spoke to Sean Kinghorn, the attorney who handled the matter, he said as far he recalls, the church board came to him with a resolution for the school to be closed. "They provided me with a resolution where they had a meeting and had decided that the school should be closed," he said.

Not pleased

The teachers who have not been re-employed since the school was reopened are not pleased. They believe that their dismissal has to do with them not being Baptists.

Reverend Carl Johnson, general secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union denied this claim however. "The church has no such policy. It certainly does not practise nepotism (favouritism towards relatives, friends as in business)," he said.

When THE STAR spoke to a school board representative she said they had not sanctioned any law firm to inform teachers of any closure and also denied firing the teachers.

"Those two teachers worked very hard to build up the school," the representative said.

But the head of the church, Reverend Valentine Wallace claims that the church was not responsible for the teachers' dismissals. He said firing the teachers was a decision taken by the school board.

Wallace adds that the church did not forcibly take over the school but were instead asked to do so. "The church was asked to take over the running of the school by the community. This was also expressed at a school board meeting," he said.

Secret takeover

The teachers insist however that the church had secretly taken over the administration of the school because of its financial contributions to the school.

"The school board knew nothing of this. In November, the church called a meeting with the parents and told them that the church had unanimously decided that the school will be closing down," the former principal of the school said. "It was wicked. They just threw us out."

Wallace admitted that the church invested significantly in the general development of the school. "The church has been paying all the utilities, light, water only it is not under our responsibility," he said.

He also added that the church wanted to invest more in the school and could do so if the school was under its full administration.

Since the school's reopening and the dismissal of the teachers, several parents have not sent their children back. Faye Francis, a parent whose child no longer attends the basic school, said she was upset about the closure of the school and the dismissal of the teachers. "They (church) don't treat the parents right and teacher dem right," she said.