HENRY

Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

President of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA), Hopeton Henry, on Monday agreed that senior personnel in the Ministry of Education and Youth should be punished for failing to deliver the Sandy Bay High School in Clarendon, in time for September.

Mr. Henry's declaration followed a comment by Information and Development Minister Donald Buchanan on radio last week, that technical officers involved in the foul-up should be held accountable.

Last week, news emerged that 250 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) students were reassigned to six schools in St. Catherine and Clarendon because the Sandy Bay High School would not be ready in time. The ministry blamed procurement procedures, among other factors, for the delay.

Heads should roll

"I think heads should roll. Somebody made a major foul-up," Mr. Henry told The Gleaner.

The JTA boss said the ministry was well aware that there was a space problem in Region Six, which covers St. Catherine and Clarendon, and should have started the process earlier.

"Last year, it was the same mess-up in the same region; and this year, it is a bigger mess up in the same region," he said.

"The issue of GSAT placement is an emotional one and they should have gone through due diligence to ensure that the spaces would be ready on time," he added.

Opposition Spokesman on Education, Andrew Holness, concurred with Mr. Henry that someone should be punished.

"Of course heads should roll," said Mr. Holness. "The errors are made repeatedly and no senior officers are held accountable," he added.

Mr. Holness said the Education Ministry has a poor communication and information policy. "And when errors are made, executives hide behind that protection," he said.

Senator Noel Monteith, State Minister in the Ministry of Education, described the Sandy Bay foul-up as embarrassing but said it would not happen again.

petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com