Scores revised – Christopher disappointed that the decision took so long

With the 2012 inter-secondary schools athletics sports meet just a few weeks away, news has come that there has been a reverse in the results in the female category of the 2011 meet.{{more}}

This means that the championship was won by the Bethel High School (BHS) and not the Thomas Saunders Secondary School (TSSS) as was previously announced.

According to Wollis Christopher, Physical Education Teacher at the BHS, the scores were revised following the disqualification of the TSSS from two relays in which the school had been initially declared winner.

Christopher told SEARCHLIGHT that although he did not think his team had won the female division, after seeing the large margin by which the TSSS had won, he was prompted to investigate.

The initial results following the athletic championships put the TSSS out front in the female division with 180 points, with the BHS in second place with 152.5 points.The St Joseph’s Convent Kingstown (SJCK) was third with 151.5 points.

“When I realized the distance, I said nah that couldn’t be, and that is what motivated me to go over the results with a fine tooth comb,” he said.

Christopher explained that he shared his findings with his principal, who then contacted the Ministry of Education.

Christopher said that he then wrote a follow up letter to the ministry in May last year, and then, according to him, this is when the ministry began looking into the matter.

The official revised scores put the BHS out front with 166 points and put the TSSS into a third position with 145; SJCK finished in second position with 157.

But Christopher said that he is disappointed that it has taken this long for the matter to be dealt with.

“I find they take real long,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Education acknowledged the mistake about three or four months before the BHS received the trophy.

“All along, they (officials) were saying that they had re-adjusted it and we were first. I am disappointed that they took so long. So long to rectify something which was of a quantitative manner, just a matter of subtracting points,” Christopher said.

Godfrey Harry, Physical Education Teacher at the TSSS, said that he preferred not to comment much on the issue, but indicated that he received correspondence from the ministry informing him of the change.

“It is an embarrassment – you would wait until almost after a year to correct something,” Harry told SEARCHLIGHT.

Meanwhile, Earl Bennett of the Ministry of Education, when contacted, said that he, too, did not want to comment on the matter, but explained that in instances such as this, there was usually a process which is followed, and that schools having queries could take them up with the jury of appeal.

Beverly Neptune, Chair of the School Games Committee and Keith Joseph, Chair of the Athletics Sub-committee of the School Games Committee could not be reached for comment as they were out of state.(DD)