The Editor, Sir:

I am appalled and disgusted by how some of our schools behave and treat students and parents, especially those who do not know their rights. I believe that students and parents need to be educated about their rights so that our educators do not abuse these rights accorded to them.

It was recently reported to me that a student was unlawfully and unfairly suspended for five days and asked to leave a high school for having his cellphone on the premises, and for displaying pornographic material (which contained a female student (minor) of the school participating in oral sex with a male student (consenting adult) of the school) with two students who wanted to see it. He reportedly obtained the material from another person of another school outside the school premises. (In fact, the images and video are on the Internet.)

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What is worse, the principal was made aware of the information from another student. The principal summoned the young man who confessed that he had the phone at home with the material and that he had showed two students who asked to see it. However, when asked to produce the phone with the material, he reportedly went home for the phone and gave it to the principal. However, the young man deleted the material from the phone before presenting it to the principal.

The principal that same day suspended him for five days and informed his mother by letter and telephone. He then requested the student and his mother to attend a board meeting to be disciplined further. That meeting was held on the evening of Tuesday, March 20, a few days after the suspension. The board reportedly demanded/ compelled his mother to withdraw him from the school, and that she write a letter to the effect stating thatshe is withdrawing him from the school.

I refer you to part 2, section 30 (7) of the Education Act, 1980:

"Except in special cases, a student shall only be suspended or excluded from a public educational institution after other efforts have been made to effect an improvement in the conduct of the student."

First ever misconduct

With respect to part 2, section 30 (7), the student and his parent have informed me that this is his only and first ever misconduct, and that no efforts were ever made to improve or correct his conduct. Hence, it would seem that the school has no case in which to exclude or suspend the student at this time for this first time offence. If truth be told, the punishment does not fit the crime.

Furthermore, the school has never reported the matter to the student council body for their study and recommendation as recommended by the act.

I believe that the authorities should look into this and that the school and any school for that matter which blatantly acts outside of the Education Act be held accountable. Additionally, parents and students should be educated of their rights and be provided with copies of the Education Act so that they can defend their rights and not be oppressed and abused by schools and principals that act outside the law.

Too long schools have gotten away with acting unilaterally and unlawfully and unjustly, punishing students unfairly and wrongly, Stop it!

I am, etc.,

Rev. RENALDO McKENZIE

andrewsunitedchurch@

cwjamaica.com

Via Go-Jamaica