A male more suitable

THE EDITOR, Sir:

AS A past student of St. George's College, it is hard not to respond to this issue. While many still believe it is a gender issue that is at the centre of the controversy, the teachers stated that it was more about the selection process that got their attention on the matter.

Nevertheless, we can't ignore that gender has become an issue over the last couple of days, maybe not for the teachers but the general society which is looking on to see how this matter will unfold.

I taught at a girls' school once and I saw how useful a female principal was for those young girls, many of them who were prey to older men on the roads.

I can't foresee a male student at St. George's approaching a female principal with a similar issue. No doubt my best teacher at St. George's was a female, Suzzette Mullins, whose teaching of sixth form literature is still held in high esteem by me. But I was more interested in her teaching skills than anything else.

Nevertheless, it was the inspiration of Hector Stevenson as principal who shaped my being at the school. Whenever he spoke I looked and said that was a firm man, and maybe one day I could be up there as principal. I don't know what would have been my response if it was a female principal.

While I am not against female teachers, based on my experience as a past student and one who has taught present students, I have to conclude that my opinion is that a male principal would have been more suitable.

I am, etc.,

KEVIN NELSON

noslennivek7@hotmail.com

Insult to diversity

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I AM a past student of St. George's College and my experience there included seeing both genders in various leadership positions. If the principal at the time were a woman, I doubt my experience would have been different or worse.

I currently reside in England, and such a debate in a modern and democratic society would impinge on a person's basic human rights and directly insult gender diversity and equality rights.

I, therefore, believe that a woman as the principal would be a refreshing and brave move to clearly state that we as a people are not afraid to responsibly elect the best suited person for the job, irrespective of gender.

Preventing a person from heading the school based on gender is biased. I certainly would elect the candidate who is strongest and whose influence could make a positive impact on the institution and its students. Gender is, therefore, irrelevant.

I am, etc.,

VENDRICE GARVIN

vendrice@aol.com

Different strokes for...?

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I THINK that one issue that is being overlooked is the issue of churches in Jamaica going by their own rules, as it pertains to schools that they control. If a school gets any funding from Government and is certified by the Ministry of Education, it means that it is to be operated in accordance with the guidelines provided by the ministry.

When other government schools have a vacancy, the position is advertised and someone is chosen by a process, so why should St. George's be any different? Because it's run by Catholics?

I am, etc.,

D. BECKFORD

Toronto, Canada

dalke2003@yahoo.com

It's a man's job!

THE EDITOR, Sir:

IN LIGHT of the fact St. George's College is historically an all-boys' school, I am of the impression that the leadership should be placed in the hands of a male principal.

Argumentatively, in today's world this may seem like a discriminatory practice, but in principle it is not.

There is nothing wrong with maintaining the status quo with some aspects of our heritage, and in our Jamaican society we've seen boys' and girls' schools, which seem to work well for us. In that light, having a male role model at the helm at St. George's should be the ideal.

Having said that, in a co-educational environment, gender should clearly not be a factor. Had this institution been one of our excellent girls' schools, would we want a male principal? The answer would probably be no.

I am, etc.,

CAUSLEY EDWARDS

Attorney-at-Law

500 Shadow Ridge Drive

Little Rock, Arkansas 72211

causleyedwards@yahoo.com

Board should be lauded

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I HAVE read with a great deal of interest the current furore over the planned appointment of a female principal at St. George's College.

May I say that the opponents of a female appointee fail to realise that appointments should be based on a person's overall qualifications, not on a person's gender or on a person's sexual orientation.

The members of the St. George's board of directors should be lauded for their enlightened perspective in bringing St. George's into the 21st century.

As a matter of fact all schools should be co-educational institutions, thus ending the segregation of the sexes. Indeed, it may be said that male or female-dominated schools are anachronistic institutions and should, for this reason, be abolished.

The board of directors should, therefore, forge ahead to make St. George's College into a co-educational secondary school.

I am, etc.,

RUPERT JOHNSON

r.b.Johnson@sympatico.ca

Toronto, Ontario

We need to address gender imbalance

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I BELIEVE that it is important to have a balanced influence of both genders in the lives of our young people. However, I would take a guess that for many youngsters their school principal is a vague authority figure.

Their most immediate role models are usually the teachers who work closely with them on a daily basis, the coaches in extra-curricular and sporting activities, individual personalities they read about in history or science books, in magazines and newspapers, or those they see and hear in the media.

Thus, should we not be more concerned about the lack of male role models at the levels of teachers and mentors? We need male role models who are able to relate to boys on a personal, everyday level, men who are a daily part of our children's lives, who build trusting, positive relationships with youngsters.

To perpetuate the idea that men are only useful as distant, authoritarian figures whom children admire or fear from afar sidelines men from their potential role in shaping children's development. There is a glaring gender imbalance in our school system with females overwhelming the positions of teachers and males having the greater percentage of jobs at the higher administrative level (61 per cent male principals and 39 per cent female principals).

We need to address this imbalance at all levels in order to create the most positive environment for our young people.

I am, etc.,

ERYNN LYSTER

erynnlyster@hotmail.com