Ministry of Education at it again – No Surprise!

16.APR.10

Editor: The Principal and Vice Principal of the Dr J.P. Eustace Memorial have been replaced. Why were they replaced? The verdict is still out as to the reason, but judging from previous decisions made by the Ministry, it may be a situation where those in the Ministry simply don’t know what they are doing or just another bout of politics.{{more}}

The Dr J.P Eustace Memorial needs a firm principal. So why is it if they are replacing the heads, was someone with managerial experience such as Curtis King, who is the Deputy Principal at West St. George not entrusted with the position?

Here we go again in this country! The Principal and Vice Principal were replaced in the third term of the school year, when you will have exams shortly and students will be sitting CXC Examination etc. Why not wait at the beginning of the new school year to institute such a measure?

It is hard to fathom the folly of the senior officials in the Ministry of Education who probably need replacing themselves also. Who makes such decisions? Are the former Chief and Permanent Secretary still calling the shots? Or is it a continuation of the backward decisions that are always being made?

The new Principal was not even the Deputy Principal at the St.Vincent Grammar School, where he taught Information Technology (IT).

What is so alarming is that Information Technology teachers are scarce in the education system, yet they would move someone out, then have difficulty finding a replacement.

Also surprising is that all the persons recently appointed to senior positions in the Ministry of Education have no training in the roles they are entrusted with – simply square pegs in round holes.

More so, past and present officials lack managerial training and have limited knowledge in human resource management and manpower planning.

Millions upon millions of dollars were spent in the Education Revolution yet there is no improvement in student performance after five years. Why? Is it because a lot of the principals are political appointments and lack leadership skills?

The Civil Service is no longer a meritocratic institution, but a rubber stamp institution for political decisions. Thank God Vincentians were not fooled in the referendum.

The Headmaster