Headteacher calls on unruly students to apologise

Principal of the Dr JP Eustace Secondary School, Sandra Bart-Peters has called on the students who protested on Tuesday, June 19 because they believed their graduation was cancelled to “do the right thing” and apologize for their actions.{{more}}

In a three-hour meeting with parents, students and the staff at the educational institution, on Wednesday, June 20, Bart-Peters said that she “did not” tell the students that they were not going to have a graduation ceremony and was shocked when she saw them protesting outside of the school’s compound.

The headteacher who had taken up her new post in January, said that the students seemed to act on misinformation and stressed that the graduation or “prize ceremony” as described on the agenda for Term 3 of the school year was scheduled for July 5 at 2 p.m. at the St George’s Catherdral.

She admitted that the students tried to speak with her on Wednesday, but said that she could not see them as quickly as they wished since she was engaged with three parents who had made prior appointments and took time off from their jobs.

Bart-Peters(Photo below right) said the students disgraced themselves and the school in their protest action when they shouted violent and abusive language to her and later to ministry officials when they went to that department later that day.



She refuted claims that she called the police on the students and said that the police was only called to remove one student from the compound whom she pointed out was extremely verbally abusive.

Bart-Peters said that she told the students before they protested, that she would speak with them only if the particular male student left the compound but was surprised when the students who were waiting to see her outside her office instead began to protest.

The principal explained that she wanted to have a meeting with the students on Monday, June 25 when all the students had fully completed their exams instead of just seeing the few who approached her on the topic.

Bart-Peters said the actions of the students were “a microcosum of the bigger picture that currently assails the society” and if young people were not sculpted to take over the reigns of power in the country, they would not learn how to solve conflicts.

The headteacher said that her vehicle tyre was punctured and her son at primary school felt threatened when he saw students from the Dr JP Eustace Secondary at his school gate.

She said despite such bullying she would not be intimidated, “I remain undaunted by those threats and I am focused on the task of moulding the young people. It must be done without fear, favour and ill will, so let us not mistake that firm caring for dictatorship. It is important for all of us to manage our young resources properly and we must not waiver in the task that is entrusted upon us. “

Bart-Peters said that she was not in charge of the finances for the planned graduation and ball and another teacher who was transferred was helping the students in that area.

Some parents in the meeting expressed the view that all students should not have to suffer the same fate as those whom they believe the principal felt threatened by, and said that for some of them this was the first time someone from their family was graduating.

When they asked if their children would be graduating the principal restated that the students needed to operate in protocol and correct the wrongs they had done to the education officials on the electronic and print media.

The students at the meeting however felt that education officials needed to apologise since they felt ignored and insulted when they tried to explain their plight, and said that they were planning to apologize but needed to talk with the other students to decide their next step.