Ministry report being prepared on interventions to quell dispute at Merl Grove High

 

 

A report on the outcome of interventions at Merl Grove High School in St. Andrew in relation to the longstanding dispute involving the principal, is expected to be submitted to the Ministry of Education by next month.

 

Director for the ministry's Region 1 - which covers Kingston and St. Andrew - Otis Brown says, since the reinstatement of Principal Dr. Marjorie Fullerton in April this year, efforts have been made to mend relationships at the institution, where there has been a tense working environment for more than a decade.

 

But, despite those interventions, several teachers protested at the gates of the institution on Monday calling for the principal's resignation, citing unfair treatment, among a raft of concerns.

 

Speaking Monday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines, Mr. Brown said meetings will continue with individual stakeholder groups, including the school board, teachers, parents and student leaders to get objective feedback on the underlying issues.

 

"Now, outside of all of that, we now are going to look at all the issues raised by all stakeholder groups. And what the Ministry of Education will do is to make its recommendations on how the issues can be addressed. And another thing that we have put on the table, and we have actioned this already, by the way, is to have restorative justice activities taking place through the Ministry of Justice as well. So this is a matter that we have planned out. We have been effecting the intervention," he said, adding that Monday's protest was "unfortunate" in light of these ongoing efforts. 

 

Mr. Brown said the gathering of information should continue for another two weeks.

 

"Following the details being presented to us, a large team from the Ministry of Education will study all of what is presented to us, and we hope to present, prepare a report that will be submitted to the requisite authorities within another two to three weeks. And that report will also consist of recommendations to address the issues that are unearthed by what we are doing at this time," he noted.