By Leonardo Blair, Staff ReporterLLOYD FEARON, prinicipal of the St. George's College in Kingston, will be stepping down from the school's helm at the end of this term and he insists that it has nothing to do with the poor ranking the school received in Dr. Dennis Minott's report.
The school, which once boasted a tradition of excellence, recently received a grade 'F' in the controversial study of the 2003 CXC results by Dr. Dennis Minott, a member of the Government-commissioned Task Force on Education.
Mr. Fearon explained that contrary to speculation that he was being forced from the post as a result of the school's failings, he will be taking up a three-year doctoral scholarship in educational Adminis-tration with a focus on school assessment in the United States.
This was confirmed by acting chairman of the school, Father Jim Webb. "The principal resigned to go and pursue further studies," he told The Gleaner in a telephone interview yesterday.
The outgoing principal explained that the school had been concerned about the implications of his resignation at this time and explained that he was asked to remain in the post for at least another year. He, however, declined the gesture.
Father Webb also explained that the post of school president, which supersedes that of the principal, will also be dissolved at the end of the academic year.
In the meantime, some students at the school feel that Dr. Minott's report did not do the school justice. "They (researchers) don't know that people (students) are doing good in other things. The report makes it look as if all of us are getting Fs," said 13-year-old Lucien Yee, a seventh-grader at the school.
Mr. Fearon, who served as principal at the school for some three years, said he had tried very hard to "bring back a tradition of excellence," at the school.
"It was challenging and rewarding. The school achieved a lot under my watch, contrary to what Dr. Minott's report shows and I can prove that," said Mr. Fearon.
