Petersfield High students at assembly - file photo
Administrators of Petersfield High School in Westmoreland have found themselves in difficulty with the Education Ministry after it was reported that a 12-year-old boy, attending the institution for the first time, was barred from attending classes because of the non-payment of fees for the registration package.
In a statement Wednesday night, the Education Ministry condemned the actions of the school's administration. It said the Board of Petersfield High will be summoned for further discussions on the matter.
The ministry's statement said the first form student was barred from attending classes because his grandmother was unable to pay a $5,000 fee.
It has also been brought to the ministry’s attention that the student is on the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH).
Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid has instructed that the student must be in school on Thursday.
In March this year, the education minister announced the removal of auxillary fees for all public secondary schools. The government also increased its subvention for tuition to those schools.
Guidelines have been sent to institutions regarding the new Support Contribution policy.
In the meantime, the Senator Reid said he will be taking a zero tolerance approach to schools that disobey the no tuition fee policy.
"We are quite resolute to making some very serious changes to any board that is not compliant.... We are not going to tolerate any biligerant school administration that is totally disregarding the guidelines and the policies of the Ministry of Education," he declared.
"We are going to have to make an example of the school at Petersfield because it's not the first time we're hearing complaints," added the minister.
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