A THREE-MEMBER team was named yesterday by the Ministry of Education to probe the current stand-off between the principal and teachers of Marcus Garvey Technical High School in St. Ann, then report its findings to Minister Burchell Whiteman by early next January.
The team comprises Joel Slack, retired senior education officer and board member of Moneague College in St. Ann; the Rev'd Garth Minott, Rector of St. Mark's Anglican Church in Brown's Town, St. Ann; and Norma Segre, retired lecturer and librarian at Brown's Town Community College.
The intervention of the Ministry of Education seems to have been precipitated by a two-day lock down of the school on November 22 and 23, fuelled by a dispute between several teachers and principal Leslie Riley who has been in that post for 11 months.
Mr. Riley, the fourth principal at Marcus Garvey Technical in four years, has accused several teachers of trying to oust him from his job because he has demanded more accountability from them. The teachers in turn have accused Mr. Riley of being dictatorial and unco-operative.
On Wednesday, November 28, teachers stormed out of a meeting at the school after Mr. Riley publicly accused them of being involved in widespread corruption. The meeting, which was called by the school board in conjunction with the Parent Teachers Association (PTA), was aimed at resolving the dispute which resulted in the suspension of classes the previous week.
The Ministry of Education also announced clear guidelines on how it expects the probe into the stand-off should be conducted. The terms of reference of the investigation, which were contained in a press release issued yesterday, involved the investigators determining the factors which contributed to a breakdown in relations between Mr. Riley and members of staff which resulted in the two-day shutdown of the school.
The three-member panel has also been mandated to identify any underlying factors, within or outside the school, which are or have been impacting negatively on the overall performance and reputation of the institution. The team has also been asked to examine and report on any other matter which, in its opinion, will advance the cause of education at Marcus Garvey Technical.
According to the press release, the three-member team is to recommend by early next January, measures for reducing or removing obstacle to progress for the school, establishing and maintaining stability in the school, and ensuring that justice is done to the individual reputations of all members of the school community.
Marcus Garvey Technical has not been without its fair share of controversies in recent years. Four years ago, the then principal, having served for 27 years, was forced to quit in the face of a massive protest by parents. Two years ago, more than half the potential school-leavers could not graduate because their literacy skills were deemed unsatisfactory.
