December 22, 2001

Jamaica Observer

Education Minister Overturns Board's Expulsion Order

THE education minister, Burchell Whiteman, yesterday confirmed that he overturned the expulsion of five boys from Munro College for smoking ganja, saying that the school's board had exceeded its powers by punishing the students twice for the same offence.

At the same time, Whiteman said that he had also been swayed by the commitment of the boys not to repeat their errors "as well as the signs of academic progress which they have exhibited during their time at the school this term".

"I have sought to balance the considerations, the well-being of the school and the well-being and future prospects of the students," Whiteman said in a statement.  "I urge all parties to continue to work with these issues held in balance."

But despite Whiteman's plea for the matter to end, there was still likely to be a substantial fall-out from his decision, including the possible resignation of the school's board of governors, which twice voted to expel the students.

Laurie Sharpe, the board's chairman, was last night still considering his options but continued to hold to his position that the education ministry's decision was a "slap in the face" of the school's authorities and sent "a wrong signal to the students".

The five boys were asked to leave Munro, a 145-year-old high school in St Elizabeth, after it was found out that they had gone, without permission, to the nearby town, Malvern, where they bought the ganja ( marijuana ), which was smoked on the school premises.

When their parents refused to withdraw the boys, they were formally expelled.  A sixth boy who was implicated was placed on probation after it was discovered that he had neither smoked the ganja nor left the compound, although he was with the others.

A caretaker who caught the boys smoking the drug but tried to extract money for his silence was fired by the school.  Most of the students had transferred to Munro -- one of the few remaining boarding schools in Jamaica -- during the last term from high schools in Kingston.

The parents took their case to the education ministry for a hearing last week, and Whiteman, in his ruling, said that the board had gone beyond the powers it has under the 1980 Education Regulations.

The board, the minister said, had initially suspended the boys for five days and then followed up by expelling them when it could only have imposed one of three penalties prescribed under the regulations.

The minister commended the board and the school's principal, Dr Earl Hendricks, for the importance they attach to the maintenance of discipline at Munro, but seemed to suggest that in this case they could achieve their ends without expulsion.

"I believe that the opportunity remains for further action by the administration, which reflects the seriousness with which the offences are viewed and provides a means of correction and rehabilitation for the students involved, as well as warnings for others who might be tempted to transgress," Whiteman said.