Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

As students across the island celebrate their Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) results, some parents are upset at what they believe is a clear disregard for their children's geographical location.

According to the disgruntled parents, their children have been placed in institutions too far out of their immediate community, and at schools that were not among the list of choices for their children.

"Where they sent my daughter was not on the list at all," complained one mother, who asked not to be named. "They said 'choose five schools'. We chose schools in and around Montego Bay."

School too far away

She added: "I am living almost in Cambridge, St. James. I am just maybe about five minutes away from Cambridge Square and there is a school there. There is a school in Anchovy, there is a school in Knockalva, and they sent her all the way to Maldon. I do not understand the logic in that."

The community of Cambridge is located some 16 miles east of Montego Bay. If her daughter is to attend Maldon High, the child will have to take transportation to Montego Bay and then board another vehicle to Maldon, as it is located some 17 miles in the other direction.

This problem is not limited to western Jamaica as The Gleaner has been informed that there are students from St. Ann who have been placed in schools as far away as Kingston.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Senator Noel Monteith, questioned the accuracy of the claims. He said that, to his knowledge, more than 60 per cent of students have been placed in schools of their choice. However, acknowledging that the incidents could have fallen in the remaining less than 40 percentile; he said genuine problems could be reported to the regional offices.

Genuine placement problem

"Students had to be placed where places are available. It is impossible to place everybody according to their choices," he said. "Where it is a genuine placement problem, those parents can report the matter to the regional office."

claudine.housen@gleanerjm.com