Stakeholders Urge Gov’t to Introduce Graduation Policy for Schools

“Children have rights too” was the response from education stakeholders on Wednesday evening after reports emerged that several students at Ascot Primary School were not allowed to wear graduation gowns during their ceremony after failing to receive proficiency in the recent PEP examinations.

 

The Ministry of Education is now being urged to implement clear graduation policies that protect the rights of students.

 

Graduation season is now in full swing, but  by the looks of it, the rules appear anything but uniformed. Currently, there's no written policy governing what schools may use as criteria for participation in these ceremonies or what schools may charge for graduation.

 

The Ministry of Education has previously said it relies on what it describes as moral suasion to guide school practices. But for some stakeholders, this approach is no longer enough.

 

Speaking with CVM TV, President of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Infants and Primary Schools Lieutenant Colonel Paul Scott said, “Maybe the Ministry of Education will need to come in and set some guidelines, some strict guidelines, that the schools will follow so that you know it releases us of that of that um activity that is where parents will attack us.”

  

Meanwhile, president of the Jamaican Psychological Society, Dr Paul Smith, is taking issue with what he describes as the exorbitant cost schools are charging for graduation.

 

“It is financially exhausting. You know, it's a lot of pressure and persons have to find themselves in that position to make sure that the children graduate at that particular cost, to mention the ball after that – it's too much. But within the context of barring everything else and the child has matriculated, the child is ready for graduation. I just think that they should be given that opportunity.”

 

Speaking on the recent graduation ceremony at Oscar Primary where several students weren't allowed to wear graduation gowns because the school said they didn't achieve high pep results, lobby group Fi We Children Foundation says this is now a constitutional issue.

 

Youth Policy Committee Chair for the foundation Sabrina Barnes argues said, Fi We Children Foundation understands it was aforementioned that graduation is not a right. But if it is that there's a ceremony that is limiting the rights that children have, then we have a constitutional concern here. We have children who are publicly humiliated that are excluded and even discriminated against, whether on their socioeconomic background, or just their academic performance.”

 

Youth Policy Committee Chair for the foundation Sabrina Barnes argues that the ministry’s public condemnation of the incident is not enough.

 

“The children foundation does not want to see the ministry of education mere condemn. We are a foundation. We can just condemn. But you have the power to authorise to give guidelines and also to see that before the graduation period that all things are set in place so children understand, parents understand, and even the school authorities understand what the graduation ceremonies are supposed to be like.”

 

Asked if the ministry should have intervened when a letter that had been sent by a parent before this graduation exercise, raising concerns. Barnes said, “The ministry knew about the situation. So yes, the ministry should have intervened. But even prior to that ministry understands that this is graduation time and the these situation that are happening right now are not new. So, we need to understand where we have gaps and where people are feeling left out, where there's exclusion and where there's limitation of rights that we need guidelines and we need policies to rectify it.”