Trench Town High School students protest planned merger

Students of  Trench Town High School in South St. Andrew locked staff out  of  the institution on Wednesday morning.

It's understood that the students are upset about the decision to merge the school with neighbouring Charlie Smith High.

They along with parents and residents padlocked the two gates to the school and protested outside for several hours.

Bearing placards outlining the positive attributes of  Trench Town High, the students chanted "No Trench Town No School".

Teachers stood on the periphery and watched the activities.

“We are protesting because they want to merge Trench Town and Charlie and even if they are merging schools, I don’t think it should be Trench Town. I went to Charlie yesterday  - but what I saw …. The classroom will not be able to hold so many people,” said a student from Trench Town.

The padlocks were removed following the intervention of  the Senior Education Officer and Member of  Parliament for the area, Dr. Omar Davies.

Last  month it was announced that as of  September, Trench Town would remain a high school and accommodate students from Charlie Smith.

Whlie Charlie Smith would be transformed into a career training institution.

However, following protest from students of  Charlie Smith last month, the plan was reversed and the proposal put forward at a Town Hall meeting that each school would submit a counter proposal to the Ministry of Education.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Ronald Thwaites has expressed surprise at the protest by the students as neither school will be closed during the merger.