Students protest over ‘no graduation’

Some final year students of the Dr JP Eustace Secondary School held a protest on Wednesday against the school’s decision not to have a graduation ceremony this year.{{more}}

Bearing placards and chanting “We Want Graduation”, “Peters Must Go” and “We Want Mr Hall”, approximately 30 students, decked out in graduation gowns insisted that an explanation must be given as to why they would not be given a graduation ceremony.

One of the students told SEARCHLIGHT that she had tried to speak with the principal Sandra Bart-Peters but according to the student, the principal refused to see them, so they made the decision to have the protest. The student said that over the past year, they raised funds and bought their graduation gowns for $60, but their money has now gone down the drain.

The student further explained that the over 100 graduates want to go to a church to have a graduation to get blessings from God. She remarked, “The theme for this year’s graduation was “Order my Steps in your work dear Lord”, and the ceremony was supposed to take place at St. George’s Cathedral.



“We feel that after five years of working so hard, we are not being properly sent off, it is like we never attended the school, but I know justice must prevail.”

Other disgruntled students said that they missed their former principal Carlton “CP” Hall and believe that the new principal, Sandra Bart-Peters was trying to be a dictator.

They also said that they believed that the founder, the late Dr JP Eustace “was rolling in his grave” because it was the first time that there was no graduation at the school.

While SEARCHLIGHT was on the scene, three plain clothes police officers went into the compound and spoke to the principal.

The students however said that they were not deterred by the officers but later moved their protest to in front of the Financial Building under the Courts Furniture Store gallery where they held the second stage of their protest.

When officials from the Ministry of Education were contacted they said that they knew nothing of the protest by the students.(SG)