Case against MoE, SJCK adjourned to December 11

The highly publicized matter, in which a parent has taken the Ministry of Education, the St Joseph’s Convent Kingstown (SJCK), senior education officials, and the Cluny School Board to court, has been adjourned to December 11, 2014.{{more}}

On Thursday, October 9, the case, which was listed for trial, dealt with a number of pre-trial matters before the substansive matter could be heard.

One of the main points of contention centred around the serving of documents on the Cluny Board of Trinidad and Tobago.

Representing the Cluny Board, attorney Duane Daniel stated that the order made by the court was to serve the defendant, but not any specific permission to serve the Cluny Board in Trinidad.

“If you serve Cluny Board locally, you serve Cluny Board in Trinidad. The fifth defendant just says Cluny Board and it doesn’t say Trinidad. So, I don’t know how they (applicants) are proceeding to serve two different sets of people purporting to be one. You are normally asked to apply for specific permission to serve outside the country and the only order I saw is to serve the defendant and not any specific permission to serve outside the country,” Daniel said.

Her Ladyship Justice Pearletta Lanns ordered that the respondents file any applications, if necessary, by October 28 and that the appellant was given until November 13 to file a response, if necessary.

In October 2013, the parent brought a suit against the Ministry of Education, principal of St Joseph’s Convent Kingstown Calma Balcombe and senior education officials, after her daughter was transferred from the SJCK to the Emmanuel High School, Marriaqua.

Lawyer Jomo Thomas is representing the parent.

Last Thursday’s sitting saw the presence of a number of teachers, principals and education officials, including chief education officer Lou-anne Gilchrist.

The applicant in the matter is the mother of the child, while the respondents are the school’s principal, Calma Balcombe, the Ministry of education, chief education ufficer Lou-anne Gilchrist, senior education officer with responsibility for secondary schools Asfo Stephens and the Cluny Board.(KW)